The Daemon Diaries
by Little Miss English Nerd
Summary: What if you went from being a completely normal, teenage girl to suddenly becoming a witch with a mythical, beautiful creature that claims to be your soul mate? Well, Clara Fulton can certainly relate! BZ/OC half-fluff, half-drama.
1. Pathetically Puny Prologue

**The Daemon Diaries**

Little Miss English Nerd

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><p><strong>ONLY DISCLAIMER THAT WILL APPLY TO THE WHOLE STORY FROM HERE ON OUT:<strong> JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. As much as I wish it was me, it's her. Anything you recnognize from the series (ANYTHING AT ALL!) is probably hers, so don't try to sue me or something! I'm but a mere teen writing in my parent's basement!

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><p><em>Prologue<em>

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><p>"Those detectors won't react to <em>smoke<em>, really, but they do react to _heat_."

I groaned, plopping my head down on the table as the teacher droned on and on...about _smoke detectors_.

We'd been forced to take a certain amount of electives this year, not really even making them electives at all. I'd decided to get the technology requirement out of the way as fast as possible, so I was stuck in that cold, cement room for an hour every other day.

"We've had a lot of close calls," Mr. Evans continued. "People working with electricity and stuff when a few sparks shot up –you know what happens when that happens…"

Let's just say, my school wasn't the greatest. This class certainly wasn't making me feel warm and fuzzy about the rest of my high sool career, either.

"And I'm only telling you this so that you won't be all concerned like, 'Oh no, I hope I don't get my hair wet…' Only if something in the room was sending off an extreme amount of heat. _That's_ when the sprinklers'll go off."

And _that's_ when I became completely bored out of my mind.

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><p><strong>AN:** Hello dear ones! Please take the time to read this author's note: it has a lot of important stuff for the upcoming story!

**1)** Just to clarify, yes, "Clorox" has me completely stumped. If you'd like to adopt it, PM me and we'll talk (I don't just hand out stories all willy-nilly, you know)!

**2)** This story is based loosely off of my real life: if you've ever truly met me, you'll see a lot of similarities between Terrie and I; it's basically an older, cooler-ish version of me!

**3)** BETA READER: Okay, I'm not REALLY desperate for one, but if you're interested, PM me about it! Everyone could use a little constructive criticism now and again, am I right?

**4)** I'll say this once and only once...I. FLIPPING. LOVE. REVIEWS. AND. REVIEWERS. Reviewers make me so happy, even if they're flames, because I know that people are reading the mediocraty that I call writing!

**5)** That being said, I don't have a strict updating schedule for this story; been there, done that, not happening again, thank you VERY much! Let's just say that if you people review, it'll probably make me update faster! So REVIEW!

Much love and excitement,

Little Miss English Nerd

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><p><strong>PS:<strong> Expect **chapter 1** in the **next few days**! Preceding that, give it some hype by **REVIEW**ING! :D


	2. Start of Senior Year

**The Daemon Diaries**

Little Miss English Nerd

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><p><em>Chapter 1<em>

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><p>Senior year...<p>

I followed Taylor Swift's advice and took a deep breath as I walked through the doors, though I was hardly nervous. No longer the underdog at the bottom of the totem pole, I felt a sense of confidence in myself that was rather foreign.

I'd always been on the shyer side of things, only opening up to those I was close to, which were a very select few…most of whom had "abandoned" me and gone to the local public school instead—not that I really blamed them…

The only friend I really had left was Jenny, but then again, she was usually too busy with her boyfriend to pay me any mind.

So I was known as "the loner" of the school.

The five foot two, black haired, freckled, hazel-eyed and nerdy loner.

A lot of people had the notion that private schools were a lot better than public schools, but it all boils down to the same thing…

Teenagers are brutal.

They single out the weakest links, spy on them, wait for the opportune moment, then—BAM! Those suckers are on you like a little kid eating birthday cake…picking every juicy morsel off of you until you're merely a pile of crumbs covered in baby snot.

Just kidding! No attacking or eating, but definitely ignoring. People like to turn a blind eye.

I walked through the barely occupied hallway and then clunked up a set of stairs in my flats, careful not to bump my leather bag on anything—and when I say leather, don't get me wrong. It was just a bag that my dad had gotten me when he'd gone to India for a business trip.

Descriptions aside, I began walking down the upstairs hallway, wondering who my homeroom teacher was.

A voice came from behind me. "Clara, wait up!"

It was Jenny and her boyfriend, Austin. I smiled and quickly hugged them, making small talk and whatnot.

They told me that we had homeroom with Mrs. Gomez, our Spanish teacher. The duo eventually went off to find their lockers, and I sighed in relief. I'd had enough social interaction for one day…

Alas, being slightly introverted has its downside…

Actually, it has a lot of downsides…like a freaking roller coaster!

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><p>"Clara Fulton?"<p>

"Here," I replied, fiddling with a pencil and smiling at Mrs. Gomez politely.

A few more familiar names were called, and I already felt a bit bored. That is, until another name was announced.

"Charles Johnson?"

My head snapped up—I hadn't expected a new student. We hadn't had a new student since sophomore year. I met the blue-green eyes of this "Charles" character, inwardly sighing when I realized how attractive he was with his brown hair and chiseled features.

Pity, really…all the attractive ones were always snatched up by the class flirt, Adele Fletcher.

It was an odd, _Twilight_ moment.

He got a really weird look on his face, looking away, then back, away, then back. His eyes seemed to darken a bit, and he looked like he might be sick. He asked Mrs. Gomez if he could use the bathroom, and she handed him the ruler that served as the hall pass.

As this intriguing character rushed from the room, I inwardly pouted. I knew I wasn't that pretty, but he didn't need to make such a show of it…

I nearly ran from the room when the bell shrilled, overcome with the fact that someone would hate me so much so literally. I stopped myself and almost began to crack up.

_This isn't some stupid Stephenie Meyer book! Pull yourself together, and think about something else. According to Pottermore, you're a Ravenclaw, so why don't you go be smart somewhere to occupy your mind? _The voice in my head admonished. I relented, hurrying to my honor's English class.

Turns out, he was in all of my classes.

Unlike Edward, he didn't try to change his schedule or anything, which made me feel a little better, though not much. I just tried to not make eye contact and keep to myself, as I had for each previous year. Jessica was only in two of my classes—not that I minded overly much—so I was virtually alone, which made me feel a little more unloved, if that was even possible.

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><p>SIDE NOTE:<p>

Yeah, yeah, yeah, say it all you want. "You're overreacting," "Come on, your class can't hate you that much!" "You're blowing things way out of proportion!"

I know I am! But this is my story, and I can portray my classmates however I want to, thank you very much.

END SIDE NOTE.

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><p>Anyway…it made me feel a little more unloved, if that was even possible.<p>

And yes, the dreaded elective requirements were still there. Including the technology elective.

The world obviously hated my guts…

And as I sat in that little dungeon of a room, the new guy who thought I was so weird that he had to leave the room only seven feet away from me, I felt like taking one of the monkey wrenches and bludgeoning myself over the head with it repeatedly. He kept trying to make eye contact, I think, but I tried to deny him, wondering what his problem was.

Mr. Evans also hated my guts.

Why?

He assigned me as (drum roll, please)…Michael Brody's partner.

Yeah, he was really techy, he was really good at this kind of stuff. But when I was a freshman, everybody found out that I had a slight crush on him, and I heard through the grape vine that he told everyone he thought I was weird. That didn't bode well with me, so I basically stopped liking him and began to dislike him.

I'd like to say that I stopped being childish like that, but I really hadn't. And ugh, he was one of the most unattractive people out there…something between a gorilla and an awkward starfish, probably…don't ask me how I got that combination, I just did…

I inwardly groaned, sending a nervous look around the classroom for someone that could possibly help me with my predicament.

Catching the gorgeous set of eyes I'd been avoiding, I realized that Charles must not have thought I was so unattractive that he couldn't even look at me—he was…smiling. And not just fake smiling, but legitimately, happily giving me a lopsided grin.

I'm not gonna be cliché like Bella, and no, my heart didn't stop! But I did feel a rather odd sensation somewhere in my abdomen. Perhaps a case of the butterflies?

Pestering nuisances, butterflies…

Before I knew it, Charles was across the room and walking towards Mr. Evan's makeshift desk—as in, I'm fairly sure that the desk had actually been_ made_ _by_ Mr. Evans. He quickly discussed something with the elderly teacher, leaving with a Malfoy-esque smirk.

He approached me with the smirk still in place, sizing up Michael with a chuckle.

"Hey Clara, meet your new partner." He smiled, chuckling at my bemused expression. "And before you ask, I just remembered your name from homeroom. I'm no stalker."

I closed my mouth, nodding my consent.

Michael's eyes glinted angrily, and he tried to stand as tall as Charles…he was beat by about three inches.

He tried the verbal approach, "Well, who said she's _your_ partner? I'm sure that Mr. Evans assigned her to me."

"Oh please," Charles scoffed, "I'm just as technologically skilled as you, probably more so. Mr. Evans said that he just wanted her to be with someone who would be able to help her—I seem to fit the bill.

"By the way, you're now partners with Sarah, whom I believe is your girlfriend? Cheer up, mate."

He leaned in and cockily patted Michael's cheek, coming to my side and grinning down at me, at least a foot's difference in height between us.

I covered my mouth to hold back the laughter that threatened to roll through my lips. I realized that it probably looked really stupid, so I tried to compose myself, but ended up failing miserably. I opted for a "chill" laugh, but I think it sounded a lot less cool to another's ear than it did to mine.

"So, I'm not sure I properly introduced myself. I'm-"

"Edward Cullen?" I interrupted unthinkingly, not realizing that I'd said it aloud until too late.

His eyes grew wide. "I should hope not! He's far too inaccurate for my liking—everybody knows that vampires don't sparkle! Anyway, as I was saying before you so rudely interrupted," he winked, "my name is Charles, but I'd prefer Charlie."

I laughed, warming up to this guy but still feeling really self-conscious at his forwardness.

There was a moment of silence as I looked at the floor awkwardly, wringing my hands and examining a scuff on my shoe. He shattered that moment like the glass on a window pane by clapping his hands together, as if to say, "sooooo."

I raised my head and tried to feel as confident as I had that morning. "Anyway, what do you want to do for the project? I must admit that I'll be barely any help at all…I can't do this stuff…"

"Oh, that's okay. We can do something that we can both work on…how about we…make a box?"

"A box?" I raised an eyebrow at that.

He was like butter—on a roll.

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><p>SIDE NOTE:<p>

! AREN'T I JUST HILARIOUS! Hehe hee hee hehehe…hoo.

Okay…

END SIDE NOTE.

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><p>So, he was on a roll. "No, work with me here! It's a good idea, 'cause we could just make it a music box! That probably qualifies as 'technology,' and I have a bit of experience with wood. What do you think?"<p>

I was given an extreme puppy dog look. An extremely cute one, too… He really wanted to make a music box, and I couldn't resist that adorable face. Oh my gosh.

"Errr…okay. A music box. Yeah, that doesn't sound too bad. You'll still have to do most of the work, though."

"That's okay," he said happily, motioning with his head towards Mr. Evans.

We told him what we were doing, and he seemed cool with it. He pointed to a storage shed that was across the parking lot, giving us the key and explaining that there was a lot of wood in there that we could use. Maybe he wasn't as bad as I gave him credit for…

The storage shed was old and dilapidated, with rusty metal and everything. I reached my hand out to unlock the handle, but Charlie grabbed my arm quickly, a startled look in his eyes as he glanced at the rusted iron. He awkwardly let go of me, a bit to my displeasure.

"I'll-I'll unlock it," he said quietly, taking the key carefully from me and twisting the handle.

I furrowed my brows, wondering what'd gotten into him. It wasn't like I was incapable of opening a door, and the way he stopped me was anything but gentlemanly. I shrugged it off and went inside the warm little shack with Charlie behind me.

A bunch of old radios and monitors were piled in one corner and random scraps of wood were lining the walls, all with some weird kind of shape cut out of them. It would be one heck of a time finding some easy-to-work-with wood.

I groaned and knelt down to sift through a pile of wood, though it didn't look quite big enough for a whole box. Hearing Charlie sorting through some of the larger pieces, I came across a very weird shaped…er, shape.

A wooden heart.

I blushed and hoped that Charlie hadn't seen anything; I didn't know why I was so embarrassed, but hearts could just be…awkward in certain situations. Coughing, I shoved it at the bottom of the stack, standing up abruptly and searching a set of shelves, pondering this morning's events, especially Charlie's oddness during homeroom.

The heat of the little shed began to get to me, and I suddenly felt a little lightheaded. Facing the shelves, I closed my eyes and hoped that I wouldn't faint.

A random secret about me? I was very prone to fainting in hot temperatures, or whenever there were a lot of people around me. Yippee. Of course I'd forgotten all about that in the presence of Charlie, as he kind of made me shy and muddled up. He made my knees go all knocky, as my Grammy would say.

I shivered anxiously, opening my eyes slowly and sneakily turning my head to look at my project partner. He was looking back worriedly, a concerned frown on his face.

Answering his unasked question, I forced a smile. "I'm fine. Um, would it be okay if I went inside while you pick the wood?"

He nodded, moving so I could pass. I felt a bit better when I got some fresh air, but not much. I completely forgot about the little step down from the shed, much to my chagrin and horror.

You know the feeling in the pit of your stomach when the ground suddenly disappears from underneath your feet? The moment of mortal terror when gravity does its thing?

Yeah, that.

I squeaked, grabbing the door of the shed to balance myself as I tumbled. A stinging pain resounded in my hand, feeling the rough surface of the wood against my unprotected palm. A few splinters went into my hand, but I managed not to fall.

Charlie poked his head out of the shed. "Are you okay? Did you fall?"

I grunted, hiding my slightly wounded hand behind me. "Yeah. I'm okay. I'll just be inside. Make sure you find good wood, alright?"

He was saying something, but I rushed to the tech room, happy that most of the class was in the hallway. I grabbed the required first aid kit and dug for some tweezers, sighing contently when a pair appeared in my good hand. I plucked the offending particles from my palm and sighed in content.

Noticing a blood blister between two of my fingers, I groaned and tried to poke the offending bubble with my tweezers, but to no avail.

Charlie walked in then, and I barely had enough time to throw the tweezers on Mr. Evans's desk before he saw them. I smiled, walking over and inspecting the large piece of wood that he'd so cleverly found.

I laughed. "Are you a Hufflepuff or something?"

His eyes widened, and he looked a little surprised. "No…why?"

"'Hufflepuffs are particularly good finders,' right?" I sighed. "Never mind. I guess you're not into Harry Potter…"

A slightly nervous laugh escaped his throat, and he shook his head. "No, I really like Harry Potter. Do you really think I'm a Hufflepuff, though? I always imagined myself more a Gryffindor or something…"

"Oh really? Pottermore said that I'm a Ravenclaw, but I guess only the sorting hat can really decide that…and it's not like that's ever gonna happen…even if it was all real, I'm but a mere Muggle."

He laughed and then subtly brought my attention back to the project.

I didn't notice the scared look on his face when I mentioned Harry Potter.

Nor did I notice the figure standing outside the window, watching our exchange.

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><p><strong>AN: **ALOHA, FRIENDS!

Wow, it feels so good to finally upload a full chapter to fanfiction...it hasn't happened since the beginning of the school year, I think...

Anyway, hope you liked the chapter! Please review to tell me what you'd like to see next! Thank you so much!

~Little Miss English Nerd


	3. Crush Friday

**The Daemon Diaries**

Little Miss English Nerd

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><p><em>Chapter 2<em>

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><p>My chugging bus finally let me off at the bottom of the hill I lived on, as my eldest brother had stolen the car for a day. I glanced wearily up, not ready to climb "Mt. Tushmore," as my younger brother had so cleverly dubbed it. I reached my large house ten minutes later, out of breath and sweating.<p>

The house was big, but not excessively so. It had two extra bedrooms and a lot of tall ceilings, but everything else was relatively average. The shutters were painted a pretty blue, the siding of the house gray.

I rang the doorbell, not wanting to have to walk through the garage. Overtly procrastinating, the aggravating house maid came through. She was basically your typical, thirty-year-old nobody; a Mexican immigrant at age twenty-eight, her English completely sucked on a royal level. She also hated my guts.

Try as I might, my mom wouldn't replace her; my parents felt a sort of responsibility for her, knowing that she couldn't really do anything else with her life. Oh well, at least she was good at cleaning and stuff…

"Hi," I muttered, rushing past her as she stared blankly at me.

I absconded to the kitchen, stole some chocolate chip cookies, and made my way to my room, deciding to go on Facebook while I had free time.

_Maybe Charlie sent me a friend request?_I hopefully thought, blushing as I thought of my cute technology partner. No, not cute…freaking amazingly H-O-T-T technology partner. Sighing, I entered my green room, smiling as I felt a huge wave of comfort wash over me.

The polka-dotted green and white curtains swayed a little bit when I walked by, and a small amount of clutter made its home on my desk. I picked up my laptop and signed in, praying that the wifi would work."

As I successfully logged into facebook, I found, with a racing heart, that indeed, Charlie had sent me a friend request. I accepted immediately of course, wanting to stalk all his pictures as soon as possible. His profile picture was immensely attractive, and I couldn't help but nearly swoon. The next image, however, was a bit more disturbing.

It was Charlie.

Charlie…with a girl.

Who could've possibly been his friend.

In a bad way.

As in girlfriend.

And exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point!

My efforts to procure information increased, and I hardly noticed that a certain boy had logged in.

**Charlie:** **Hey.**

The DING of the message startled me; I looked down and saw it was Charlie…

Insert dreamy sigh here.

**Me:** **Hey.**

**Charlie: How's it going?**

**Me: Fine…you?**

**Charlie: Everything's fine. Just wanted to ask you if we had any psychology homework?**

My heart sank. **Me: Oh no, he said we only needed to review for the test on Friday…**

**Charlie: Cool. Anyway, I was wondering…who's that guy in your profile picture? The one with the spiky hair and nerd glasses?**

**Me: Um, it's my brother…why?**

It took him a moment to respond.

**Charlie: Oh, no reason.**

**Me: How about you?**

**Charlie: What?**

**Me: What I meant is…who's the girl in your profile picture?**

**Charlie: One of my friends from my old town…I've known her since I was eleven.**

Ah, but everybody knows how old friends turn out…

**Me: Oh, just wondering.**

There was a moment of awkwardness, but then we both started to type. Even more awkwardness ensued as we each gave the other a chance to respond first. I finally just put my computer down and waited for Charlie to continue the conversation.

**Charlie: So, about our technology project…do you know of anywhere that sells music box kits? A craft store, maybe?** **Me: Yeah, maybe Michael's? We'd have to drive a little ways, but it'd most likely be there.** **Charlie: Cool! What do you say we head over there on Friday after school? You have anything going on?** Okay, queue Bella moment...II stopped breathing. Was he asking me to go somewhere with him?

**Charlie: Hello? Clara?** **Me: Oh yeah, sorry, I'm here. And yes, I'm free.** **Charlie: Good. So, I'll drive, if that's okay, and we can go right after school. Sound good?** **Me: Yes, sounds awesome.** **Charlie: Okay, well I've gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye. :)** **Me: Bye :)** _Oh Facebook, thank you so much for your lovely chat systems. I'll never insult you again._

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><p>To say I was a bit anxious about that day was the understatement of my life.<p>

I strove to look the best I could, opting for a pair of white-washed jeans, high top converse, and a V-neck tee that bore the English flag on the front. My hair was expertly brushed and volumized, curled slightly at the ends for effect. I skillfully –yet hurriedly— applied makeup, choosing light brown eyeliner and mascara, not really having much acne to conceal and knowing that foundation would slide right off later. With a quick look in the mirror, I decided I was ready as I'd ever be and bounded down the stairs, snatching up my bag and rushing my siblings out to the car.

As I drove my brothers and myself to school, I looked out at the rural scenery, the flowing corn taking my breath away with its swaying beauty. I realized that my thoughts sounded like those from a corny –haha, get it? CORNY?— romance novel, and quickly focused my attention on the wheel with a blush.

I pondered for a while; falling for a guy _that_ fast was completely unusual for me…I usually had to get to know someone, and, even then, spend a _lot_of time with him to really fall for him.

But the whole Charlie crush just kind of hit me like a ton of bricks.

In the face.

At the speed of light.

Reaching the parking lot, I quickly bade my siblings goodbye, giving hugs and waving them off to the middle school, the sixth and eighth graders smiling back at me as they went, their brown hair sweeping across their foreheads in a slight Bieber-bob style…I'd have to do something about that…

The day went by rather normally, except for the fact that I didn't have technology, and thus had a much smaller chance to talk to Charlie; he sat across the classroom in almost every class…usually next to a rather pretty girl who was gaga over him, just like me.

As the school day ended, I walked back up to homeroom, sighing wistfully when I saw Charlie conversing with Audrey, the aforementioned flirt, by the lockers. He laughed slightly, rummaging through his locker, eventually emerging with a folded piece of paper that he handed to her. Audrey thanked him profusely, giggling and waving as she walked away.

It felt as though five-million pounds suddenly fell on my chest, crushing my heart. He had a thing for Audrey, and I'd been so naive to think that his nice nature was because he liked me!

To add to that, I would have to spend at least two hours with him that afternoon, knowing full well that whenever he was spacing out, he'd probably be thinking about her.

I walked into Mrs. Gomez's room, taking my seat with a huff. Jess approached me and we talked for a bit, which was a slightly awkward moment. The bus riders were called soon, and I was left with about ten other people, including Charlie, who was approaching me. _You know what? I'm gonna act cool about it. He'll find me even less attractive if I'm all broody…yeah…maybe this'll work!_I thought, smiling up at him when he reached my desk.

He smiled back. "Hey. I feel like I haven't seen you at all today. You ready for our music box kit hunt?"

"Yeah," I said somewhat normally, nodding.

"Is everything okay? You look a little down…"

_Curse my utter transparency!_

"I'm fine," I interrupted, "just a bit tired, that's all." I yawned for effect.

The car riders were called and Mrs. Gomez waved us all out of the room, bidding us a good weekend and looking relieved to see us gone. Charlie and I walked close together, staying out of the way and nearly touching shoulders. I felt pathetic when I realized that the thought thrilled me.

Reaching the back parking lot, Charlie led me over to a nice looking gray car, telling me to hop in while he took our bags to the trunk. I slid onto the leather seat, shivering nervously for a second. I was completely alone with Charlie, and he was basically mine for the afternoon. Geezers.

He climbed into the car, smiling at me before starting the engine. I returned it, feeling the winged creatures in my stomach do a dance. He drove leisurely for a while, easily turning onto the interstate within a few minutes.

"So, where are we going, anyway? I figured it would be somewhere in this direction," Charlie started with a grin, glancing my way and then back out the window. Blushing slightly, I cleared my throat. "Um, just keep heading this way, until we reach 417, I think..."

"Alright, sounds good. Anyway..."

We began talking about this and that, not much of anything, really. He got me to laugh and blush, making me more and more embarrassed each time, which only added to his amusement. As we discussed everything random, I made a weird discovery about his voice, something that sounded just a bit foreign.

"Charlie, do you have an accent of some sort?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow and glancing at him suspiciously.

His eyebrows raised and a look of absolute panic crossed his face for a second. His coughed, lowering his voice and making it sound gruff. "No, no, not possible. Hey, could you grab my Gatorade in the back seat?"

I consented, concerned by his worried expression. The aforementioned blue drink was a trifle hard to get, my arm bent at one of the most awkward angles possible, causing me to lean my right shoulder slightly against Charlie's, a feeling that was mortifying and lovely at the same time. Finally managing to shove the drink into Charlie's hand, I watched as he anxiously gulped at the liquid, a foul expression on his face like it didn't taste good.

"Are you okay, Charlie? We can go back, if you-"

"No! No, it's fine!" He said, his voice normal once more. "Oh look! There's the exit!"

I sneezed as he turned, propelling myself into the window and bonking my head sharply. I yelped and rubbed my scalp as Charlie profusely apologized; I waved him off as I messaged my temples soothingly. Looking up, I met Charlie's gaze with a slight smile.

"I'm okay, but I think we both need to calm down," I explained. "How about we stop at Starbucks or something? I'll buy us some coffee."

He consented after a moment, offering to pay for his own drink but being shot down. Seriously, my dad made more than enough money for our family...in fact, he could afford to buy Starbucks for my whole school, not that elementary children should drink coffee; I read somewhere that it "stunted growth" or something.

Anyway, before I went inside, he requested chamomile tea, one of the strangest things to order at a coffee shop... I shrugged it off and went inside, smiling at the sort of cute guy behind the register. He offered a friendly grin back, introducing himself as Chris and asking what I wanted with laid back ease. As I ordered an iced latte for myself, as well as Charlie's tea, it felt as though a pair of eyes were piercing holes in my back. Afraid to turn around, I casually scooted a little closer to the guy at the counter, who had his back turned to me as he made my beverage.

"Um, so...where do you go to school?" I questioned lightly, trying to shake off the feeling of being watched.

"I'm currently in community college, but only for my first semester. I got my acceptance letter from Dartmouth a few days ago. You?"

I blushed at the attention. "That's really cool. I'm, er, still in high school. Senior year."

"Interesting, I could've sworn you were a college babe. No matter, though, because I'll still see you around, right?" He handed me the drinks, eyebrows raised hopefully.

"Y-yes," I stammered slightly, charmed yet flustered. "Well, I'd better be getting back to my friend; he'll probably be a complete grump by now. It was nice talking to you. See you some other time!"

He winked slightly as I nearly ran out of the shop, narrowly avoiding Charlie's burning hot tea as I sloshed a few drops out of the Styrofoam cup. Biting back a bitter word, I knocked on Charlie's window. The sight I saw both startled me and made me feel slightly amused at the same time.

Charlie sat in the vehicle, looking rather like a moody, pouting two-year-old. I held in my laughter.

Then it hit me; why was Charlie so mad?

I knocked again, cautiously, and his eyes snapped open. He stiffly rolled down his window, giving me a strained smile as he took his tea from my hand. That time, I really did giggle, which caused him to raise a cool eyebrow.

As we began driving again, I realized that indeed, Charlie was pouting.

"Charlie, what's the matter?"

He sighed and replied, "Nothing."

I persisted, "I must have done something ba-"

"You-y-you were..." Charlie erupted randomly, blushing and looking slightly hurt. He quieted down, looking embarrassed. "I kind of thought that...nevermind..."

"Charlie?" I tried to touch his arm, and he let me.

We made eye contact, brown meeting troubled sea green. I gave him the most reassuring smile possible, turning my eyes back to the road as he sighed. In contentment? Or maybe it was worry? Or maybe disgust?

I retracted my arm lightly and my face reddened.

The rest of the ride went pretty smoothly as the radio played lightly in the background. I found myself really wanting to sing, but I simply hummed, trying not to embarrass myself. His outburst still had me troubled, but I shrugged it off, deciding that he was probably just annoyed by me.

I felt a huge amount of relief when we reached the craft store, wanting this whole excursion to be done with. Charlie was obviously angry at me or something...

"So, how about I go ask someone about the music boxes and you look for decorations or something?" Charlie asked, not making eye contact.

As we parted, something inside me felt really sad, to put it simply.

To believe I thought things were going well...pfffft.

Ten minutes later, I stood gloomily by the registers, waiting for my bipolar crush to come back. I was zoning out and didn't realize that Charlie was standing three feet away, leaning against the counter with an adorable grin. He cleared his throat, scaring me half to death.

"Holy hypocrisy, don't scare me like that!" I exclaimed, secretly glad that he seemed to be back to his normal, happy self.

He grinned. "Sorry. Well, shall we check out?"

* * *

><p>I snorted at Charlie's antics, an unattractive sound that soon turned into coughing.<p>

Looking pleadingly at him, I grabbed his Gatorade bottle. "Can...I...have...some?" I choked.

He was too busy laughing at me to respond, so I started unscrewing the cover, ready to take a swig. The bottle suddenly flew out the open window, knocked from my hands by a very frantic looking Charlie. Something knocked me in the side of the head, and I turned, still coughing, to gape at the aforementioned guy.

That's when I think I fainted.

I groggily awoke, hearing my name over and over again and having no recollection of where I was and what had happened.

"Clara? Clara? You awake? Wakey wakey! You're home!"

My eyes fluttered open to meet Charlie's stressed yet relieved face. My heart leaped up to my throat for a second, but I was able to speak around an awful headache a few seconds later. "Charlie? Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah, you did," he nodded, fidgeting in his seat.

"Oh, okay," I nodded, looking outside at my awaiting house. "Well, I'd better go; see you on Monday?"

He smiled despite his obvious worry. "Yeah, definitely."

"Bye..."

"Later..."

As I dreamed, the weirdest images popped into my head, involving birds, wings, and Charlie. I woke sporadically throughout the night, always in a cold sweat. I even thought I saw a pair of evil eyes staring at me from outside my window, but they always disappeared whenever I blinked.

Deciding that I was probably sick or something, I forced myself back into the reoccurring dreams.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Hello, readers! Hope you enjoyed this second chapter! As it's Thanksgiving break, I might (just MIGHT) be numero three up, so be prepared!

Speaking of preparing for updates, please either add me to your author alert list or you story alert list, if you haven't already! I promise you that this story will get EXTREMELY FANTASTIC AND WAAAAAAY WORTH READING/REVIEWING!

Anyway, have a nice Thanksgiving break (if you're an American)!

Please review to tell me how you liked the chapter! I'll take anything you've gotta tell me (I can also answer questions if you were confused)!

Hearts, Little Miss English Nerd


	4. Wingin' It

**The Daemon Diaries**

Little Miss English Nerd

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><p><em>Chapter 3<em>

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><p>Monday's weather was not very compliant with my plans of straightened hair. I hadn't even looked outside until I was about to leave, noticing the rain with a mini temper tantrum that caused my little brothers to look at my funnily.<p>

My day was already ruined, I realized as I thought of (who else?) Charlie, who might still be moody. I randomly wondered if he was PMSsing, but banished the thought with a blush soon after.

We pulled up and each went to our designated classrooms, wishing each other a good day. I walked up the steps of the high school building, rounding the corner and running straight into some one's chest. I squeaked and almost fell before I was expertly caught by...beautiful eyed, tousled haired Charlie. My face burned with embarrassment as he looked on in amusement.

"Sorry," I squeaked, pulling my arms out of his hands slowly.

He smiled. "It's cool. I was actually just coming to look for you."

"Y-you were?"

"Yeah," he smirked, "I wanted you to hear the music for the music box; I got the little metal pieces all put together, and it sounds really nice."

He pulled a small piece of what looked like a bunch of knobs and cogs out of his back pack, winding a little key at the bottom and letting the machinery pluck out a melodic little tune. I recognized "Once Upon a December" from Anastasia with a pleased gasp.

"Okay, you're obviously a psychic! That's one of my favorite songs!" I exclaimed, smiling hugely. "I used to watch that movie _all the time_! You're awesome!"

I hugged him easily, wrapping my arms around his waist as he floundered, probably shocked. His warm arms finally wrapped around my back and he squeezed me lightly before we both let go, bearing matching, gleeful grins.

My face felt very red, but I shook it off, walking into homeroom with Charlie at my back.

* * *

><p>"Get to it," Mr. Evans said, walking over to help a group of clueless freshmen girls.<p>

Charlie walked over to my side, getting a soldering type of tool and showing me a simple wood burning technique to use on our project while he did the more complex stuff in another corner of the room.

Grabbing a piece of scrap wood from the table, I lightly touched the warm, metal object to it, watching as the wood started smoldering away. I drew a smiley face, a flower, a heart, and a bunch of aimless squiggles that bore a slight resemblance to a giant squid. A random hand appeared on the counter beside me, followed by the rest of some one's body.

Michael, my once-partner, raised his eyebrows with a sneer that could've rivaled Draco Malfoy's. "Well, well, well. How's it going, ex-partner?"

"Fine," I murmured quietly, clenching my fist around the burning tool.

"How's the project going with pretty boy?"

I was tempted to grind my teeth. "He's not a pretty boy. He's my friend."

"Isn't that the only reason you're his friend? You want an attractive guy to like you?"

"Well," I started, knowing where he was going. "You know that I used to like you in ninth grade. Let's just say, if you did like me back, there _definitely_wouldn't have been an attractive guy that liked me...capiche?" I clumsily muttered, trying to sound collected but not really even understanding myself.

He kept his cool, climbing from the counter and standing directly behind me. "Playing hard to get? I kinda like that in a girl..."

His hand touched my back and began trailing lower and lower. Just as I was about to whip around and stab him in the eye socket with the wood burning apparatus, a furious voice approached. "Brody. What are you doing?"

Thank goodness for Charlie.

"Nothing much, Johnson, you?" He didn't move.

The whole room was watching, and I noticed that Mr. Evans had gone next door for more supplies. Great.

Michael was suddenly gone. Able to turn around, I saw him on the floor, clutching a bloody nose and squeezing his eyes shut in agony. His stupid little girlfriend ran to him, sending Charlie and me a furious glare before she gently caressed her boyfriend's face. Charlie stood by my side, waves of fury literally filling the room. "Char-" I began, began being the operative word.

As I started saying his name, the sprinkler system overhead suddenly came to life, drenching all of us with gallons upon gallons of water. I stood there in complete shock as it washed all over me, soaking me from head to toe. Charlie seemed to have snapped out of his daze, and the sprinklers turned off as quickly as they'd turned on.

I recalled something that Mr. Evans had said at the beginning of the year...the sprinklers only reacting to heat, not smoke. It couldn't be that Charlie had done anything...right?

I blinked at the aforementioned teen, my wet hair covering half of my face. He whipped something out of his pocket, suddenly staring at the door. I stared at the object, my jaw dropping at the...wand?

Before I could question him, the door flew open, revealing...Bellatrix Lestrange?

Her hair was mussed and stood taller than any Snooki poof, teeth yellow and eyes feral. Helena Bonham Carter did her justice in the films, really, but this Lestrange had an aura of absolute power with just a hint of mental insanity.

What really set me over the edge was someone who looked rather like Fenrir Greyback, who stood right behind the supposed Bellatrix. His nose was a bit more pointed than in the movies, and he didn't look completely wolf-y, but the resemblance was highly uncanny.

The two figures pulled out wands of their own, both sneering viciously before they spotted Charlie. Their sneers turned into snarls as they each threw a malicious looking spell at him. He appeared to cast a protego charm, sparing both of us from the jets of light.

Looking at him, a wave of memories came back to me. Charlie...the car...fainting...wings!

I knew the reason that I'd fainted! Charlie had-had sprouted wings! Just like at that very moment...

The wings were of deepest black, covered in onyx feathers that looked smooth to the touch. I actually wasn't as weirded out as I should've been. Looking back, it was probably because of the adrenaline that came from being attacked by two supposedly fictitious characters.

Something behind us exploded; kids went screaming, running out the other door without a backwards glance. The two villains let them leave, focusing on Charlie and me.

"Well, well, well," Bellatrix began in a strong, Cockney accent. "Nice to see you again, Charles...or should I say Blaise? Is this your little girlfriend?" She was even closer now, about an arm's length away. She reached out and took my chin in her hand, pulling a fake smile. "Pretty little filth, isn't she, Greyback?"

She was launched back by a purple jet of light, crashing into Mr. Evans's desk with a shriek as Charlie did the same to the werewolf. He grabbed my hand and began sprinting out the door. His strides were too long, however, and I just couldn't keep up. My foot caught a stone outside, and I was down like a pro wrestler.

My ankle throbbed and I cried out, my skinned hands bleeding profusely. Charlie was by my side in a flash, wrapping his arms around me and picking me up marriage-style. I started to protest, but he was running again, faster than he was before. I shrieked slightly and buried my head into his shoulder, closing my eyes and hoping I'd wake up soon.

I heard his heavy breathing and wondered whether I was too heavy for him. My face heated up and I looked behind us.

"Charlie! They're behind us!" I slightly yelled at him.

He fleetingly met my gaze before he whipped his head around, uttering a quiet curse.

He flung me on his back, putting my hands around his neck between the two wings protruding from his shoulders. He never slowed, instead gaining momentum.

My eyes widened as I realized what he was doing just before we left the ground.

"Charlie! Just ap-apparate!" I tried, wondering whether or not it was called apparation.

"We've gotta get out of range first." He replied, taking one last step before rising easily.

Clutching even tighter to Charlie with my bloody hands, I let out a strangled cry, clinging to his back for dear life. He flew another two-hundred yards or so before he spoke.

"Okay. Clara, you've gotta trust me."

"Why-"

He cut me off. "Please just say you do."

"Of course I trust you, Char-"

That's when he dropped me.

I went pelting towards the ground, arms flailing and life flashing before my eyes. Too scared to even scream, I awaited the inevitable splat. Arms were around me, and everything went black with a painful clench.

* * *

><p>When my senses returned, I found myself lying face down on a patch of grass. A pained groan sounded to my right, and I turned my head to see Charlie, pale and sweaty.<p>

"Charlie? Are-are you okay?" I asked, sitting up painfully as my ankle throbbed.

His eyes opened and he clutched a bloody spot on his shoulder. "I got splinched."

I gasped, immediately kneeling by his side. "Where is it? Do you have any...erm...dittany? That's what Hermione used, right?"

A fleeting, albeit proud, smile appeared on his face as his reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, drawstring bag. He tapped it with his wand and nodded towards it as it grew to normal proportions.

I stuck my raw hands inside, wincing as I felt a few potion bottles, as well as his "Gatorade." I pulled them out as efficiently as possible, reading the labels until I saw "Essence of Dittany" written in a sprawling script.

"Okay, I'll just roll up your sleeve. This'll probably hurt a lot, if the books are correct."

A nasty, gaping wound was revealed. It took basically all my willpower not to puke on the spot. I dribbled a few drops of dittany on it, patting his arm slightly to try to soothe him as the skin knitted back over efficiently.

"Erm, Charlie? Can I use some dittany on my hands, too? Will it do something bad because I'm...a Muggle?" I questioned.

He shot up, acting as though he was never injured. "Your hands are hurt? Let me see."

I slowly extended my hands, laying them on his as he carefully examined them.

"I know a few spells that'll work better, I think. Would you like me to try them?"

At my affirmation, he lightly tapped each of my hands with his wand, muttering an incantation under his breath as he warned me that it would sting a bit. My hands burned slightly, but it wasn't much of a difference. He tapped them again and the skin healed itself before my very eyes.

"Oh, and yeah, you're probably a Muggle. But that doesn't mean that you can't do a little magic." He stated, watching my face with concern.

That news kind of hit me like a train. Everything seemed to finally get to me. I began shaking, the shock of such an overwhelming event breaking through my calm composure. Charlie gathered me in his arms, sitting me in his lap and stroking my hair gently. A thought occurred to me, and I gasped, eyes wide with fear. "Charlie! What if they try to get my family?"

"Shhh, it's okay. They don't even know who you are...just that you're my..." he hesitated, about to say something before he continued, "friend."

I felt a little gloomy...just friend? But then I decided that I needed to question him about all the recent developments. I pulled myself together and began my interrogation.

"Okay Charlie, will you answer anything I ask you?"

"Of course. You kind of have the right to know, what with you almost being killed." He winced out the last word and leaned his head on my shoulder.

I had trouble breathing with his close proximity, but I continued on. "So, the Harry Potter books are all real?"

"Yeah. It was actually designed to give Muggles a bit of awareness, and it also functioned as a sort of decoy...I mean, it's 'fictional,' so no one would really believe it, right?"

"And Bellatrix and Greyback were really back there?"

"Yeah..."

A worrisome thought popped into my head. "Is-is...You-Know-Who gone?" I whispered.

"Yes, yes he is. Oh, and it's okay for you to say Voldemort. He's dead. Only a few Death Eaters are still at large, and for some reason, two of them followed me."

"Yeah..." I trailed off, wondering how to phrase my next query. "And, um, what exactly..._are_you? Quite obviously, you're wizard, and I don't mean to offend you or-"

"No offense taken. I'm a Daemon."

"A demon?" I asked, edging off his lap a little bit, startled.

He grinned, shaking his head. "No. A 'day-min;' we're actually kind of like Veela, but more skilled. We're stronger, faster, less vain, and we can fly. My dad is a Daemon, and my mom is a witch, so I'm also half wizard."

"Whoa. That's..." I shook my head before I asked another question. "Wait. What was with the whole Gatorade fiasco the other day?"

"Well," he cleared his throat. "I'm British. I didn't want to be more conspicuous, so I've been taking a potion to make me sound American. Actually, it should be wearing off soon, and since I've already told you everything, I guess I don't need to take it anymore."

Something he said triggered the rational side of my brain. "Wait...shouldn't you _not_ tell me? I'm just your friend...your _Muggle_friend! It would've been really easy for you just to erase my memories and leave, right?"

Chuckling, he rubbed my back as he explained. "No. Sure, it would've been easier for you, because you wouldn't remember anything...I, on the other hand, couldn't erase my own memories...it would've been really sad for me if I'd done that. You've been a really good friend, and you're very fun to be with."

Giggling shyly, I looked up into his eyes. "Ditto."

We shared a "moment" of sorts, just staring into each other's eyes and smiling.

"How's your ankle?" He randomly said, eyebrows furrowed.

Kindly drawing my leg towards him, he lifted his wand and did some kind of diagnosis spell. The words "Buckle Fracture" rose to the air in wispy blue letters. Shaking his head, he looked to me.

"Well, I'm not very good at healing spells. I think it'd be best if we took you to Madam Pomfrey; I don't want to risk hurting it even more."

I remembered Harry's second year and the painful dosage of skele-grow that he'd had to take because of Lockhart's inexperience. "Yes, that sounds best. By the way, why did you come to America in the first place?"

When he spoke, I heard a slightly more British tone in his voice. "Well, it seems that the Death Eaters wanted to have Daemons on their side if they could, so they were basically hunting down me and my family. We came to America over the summer so that I could be safe until we got to Hogwarts. Figured it'd be less suspicious if I stayed for a few weeks, so here I am now. And so are you, I guess...by the way, I know you probably want to go home right now, but you should probably stay out of harm's way for a while; the Death Eaters are probably still around the area, and I suppose the American Embassy of Magic would have a fit if they knew you'd been hanging out with magic folk."

"Are you kidding me? Of course I want to be here! My favorite book series...a reality? I'd take that over sitting in Muggle classes any day!" I exclaimed.

"Look at you, already using the term 'Muggle.'" He laughed, beginning to stand up. "Alright, I'll carry you. Do you want to go on my back again?"

I blushed and nodded, not making eye contact. He easily plucked me from the ground and made sure I was comfortable, grabbing his bag and shrinking it again before setting off into the great unknown. I thought of the one time I'd gotten a detention and giggled.

He turned his face and raised and eyebrow. "What?"

"Well, I've been using the term 'Muggle' for a while, actually. One time I called Mr. Deet a Muggle, and I got a detention for it."

"You're joking. Good girl Clara Fulton in detention? That's preposterous!"

"Preposterously true!" I laughed. "By the way, your accent is just fantastic. Slightly Cockney with a hint of...something else that's British. I'm jealous."

"Thanks, luv," he said full-on British-like, laughing.

He strode on into the forest, and I leaned my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes and listening to his slow, easy breaths.

"Clara? You falling asleep?"

Yawning, I shook my head, feeling him chuckle beneath me.

"Well, you go on and sleep, and we'll be in Hogwarts before you know it," he said cheerfully.

As I drifted into dreamland, I suddenly remembered something Bellatrix had said. "Wait, Charlie! Are you Blaise Zabini?"

"The one and only. I was wondering if you'd caught on about that. Actually, my father's name is also Blaise, so I usually go by Charles or Charlie; Johnson was just an alias last name...there are a lot more Charlie Johnsons running around than Charlie Zabinis." He paused for a moment. "And by the way, go to sleep! Goodness, trying to kill yourself with stress?"

I laughed, obeying him and letting my eyes flutter closed.

* * *

><p>"Clara, we're here."<p>

The whisper tickled my ear and I half-opened one eye, recalling where I was.

"Charlie?" I asked.

"Yes, it's me. And we're here. Don't you want to see Hogwarts?"

My eyelids snapped back and I gasped in shock. Not a hundred yards before me were the great gates of Hogwarts, the ones that had protected the school for years and years. A familiar figure stood on the other side, smiling shyly and magicking the gates open.

"Harry Potter?" I shrilled in absolute disbelief.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** And that's that! Thank you so much for reading! I'd like to specifically acknowledge Nhyratak and Martina Malfoy Lestrange for being such lovely reviewers! Oh, and Martina: I totally remember you! You threatened to dye your hair insane colors if I didn't put up a chapter, once! Good to hear from you! As for all your questions and predictions, I hope you aren't too disappointed that Charlie isn't Draco, though I can definitely promise that Draco will enter into the story very, very soon.

As for updating: I'd very much like to get another chapter up and out before Christmas break is over, but if I don't...an early merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all!

Pretty pretty please review for me!

Thank you so much for reading! ~Little Miss English Nerd (hearts and hugs


	5. Sorta Sorted

**The Daemon Diaries**

Little Miss English Nerd

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><p><em>Chapter 4<em>

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><p><em><strong>AN: **_Go on, read...then review or I shall eat your souls! O.o :P

* * *

><p>"Blaise? You can't be serious!" The guy at the gate asked, looking at me as though he couldn't believe his own eyes. "Do you know how dangerous it is to bring a Muggle here? The Death-"<p>

Charlie interrupted. "Potter, I know. Just chill. I'll explain everything once we get inside, but Clara here has a broken ankle and we need to see Madam Pomfrey about it. Please just let us in...and don't call me Blaise!"

Harry looked surprised, though he moved so we could pass. I smiled at him as I was carried by, I even said, "I'm a big fan of your work! Thanks for saving the wizarding and Muggle worlds!" The-Boy-Who-Lived blushed insanely and muttered a brief "Thanks."

I looked at the castle and sighed in contentment, allowing the swaying motion of Charlie's steps to rock me into oblivion. That is, until I felt bad for the poor lad who had been carrying around my...weight-that-shall-not-be-named...around all day.

"Charlie, I'm honestly fine! How about I stand on the one foot, and you can just help support my left side? You must be exhausted!" I exclaimed, struggling to get out of Charlie's grasp.

He frowned and held me tighter, causing my heart to beat just a _wee_ bit faster.. "No, no, no, I'm really fine. Thanks for your concern, Clara, but I've carried Hagrid for a time; you're _definitely_ not part giant."

"But I feel bad, making you do all of this for me! How about I do something for you in return?"

"Well," he pondered, raising one eyebrow. "I suppose that you could help me do a few things...I usually go out into the forest to collect some ingredients for Slughorn, and an extra pair of hands could be kind of helpful." Upon seeing my disproving expression, he clarified. "I go into the forest _with permission_ to collect ingredients for Slughorn; I _am_ the male, Slytherin prefect, I'll have you know...anyway, how does that sound?"

"Sounds good, I guess...any less dangerous sounding tasks?"

Laughing, he shook his head. A shadow fell across us, and I realized that we were a mere ten yards from the castle doors. Squealing, I urged Charlie onward, eager to get my ankle fixed and to meet all of my favorite characters-no, people.

Yet when we had only just arrived inside the grand doors, a furious voice addressed Charlie.

"Zabini, what the devil are you doing?"

The voice belonged to a very irate Draco Malfoy.

"OHMYGOSH!" I gushed uncontrollably, flapping my arms like some kind of demented chicken. "YOU'RE DRACO MALFOY! OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH! You're like, one of my most favorite characters of all time! I named my ferret after you!"

The aforementioned teenager raised one eyebrow coolly, probably reacting to the ferret comment. I clasped a hand over my mouth as Charlie laughed his head off.

"This is not funny, Blaise. Please go take the Muggle to the infirmary and meet me in the common room immediately afterward. I'm not in the mood to be trifled with."

Charlie seemed to bristle with anger. "Don't call her a Muggle; her name is Clara Fulton."

The Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Just get to the hospital wing. We must discuss...things."

As Charlie walked away from the disgruntled old bean, I really thought that I should voice my own opinions on the matter. "HEY MALFOY!" I yelled back at him, "make sure the door doesn't hit your ego on the way out! Toodles!"

Draco sneered at me and proceeded in the general direction of the dungeons.

Charlie didn't appear overly impressed by my display, and he forlornly trudged up to the hospital wing. He didn't even appear to notice me; his head seemed to be up in the clouds. I occupied myself with waving to the many moving paintings that lined the halls. Not many of the paintings waved back, but those who did seemed slightly wary of the obviously Muggle girl.

A few random students would pass us in the hall occasionally, mumbling greetings to Blaise and staring at me.

After what seemed like an eternity of stares, I was finally in the hospital wing.

It smelled a bit less antiseptic than all the other nurse offices I'd been in, and it was four times the size, to give a rough estimate. Each cot was positioned directly parallel to each other, and I vaguely wondered if Madam Pomfrey had OCD.

The hustling, bustling Nurse appeared, clucking her tongue at Charlie and telling him to place me on the nearest cot. She also shooed him off, which was to my great displeasure. He gave me a thumbs up and a slight wink before strolling off. As I rested on the firm, slightly uncomfortable bed, I watched as Madam Pomfrey examined my swollen ankle.

"Alright, this will probably hurt quite a bit, dear. Brace yourself," she said in a rush.

Before I even knew what was happening, a searing pain went through my whole leg; it took all within me not to scream in agony and rip my foot off. It felt ten thousand times worse than any charlie horse cramp.

A moment later, the pain dissipated, leaving me with a numb foot.

Pomfrey looked at me. "Well? Aren't you going to try to move it?"

"No," I replied, thinking that something dreadful would happen if I did.

"Good. It's nice to see that some people can use common sense. Actually, if you'd try to move it, it probably would've hurt even worse than before." The Nurse commended me, levitating over a very familiar bottle. "This, my dear, is-"

"Skelegrow." I interrupted, gulping.

She raised her eyebrows, impressed. "Yes. Well, I guess you're a fan. If so, then you know how much this will hurt. You'll stay here tonight, and I'll discuss with Minerva concerning future sleeping arrangements."

Before she walked away, I had to ask her something that I didn't feel comfortable asking anybody else...mainly Charlie.

"Madam Pomfrey? I'm not supposed to be here, am I?"

"Little miss, I believe that you are. Why, just looking at his expression told me-"

"Whose expression?"

She lightly put a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Well, the bottom line is that everything happens for a reason. I'll be back to check on you later. Oh, and there are some magazines and newspaper articles on the table beside you, if you get bored. Get some rest; I daresay you need it."

* * *

><p>Waking up, I felt as though all of the bones in my body were being moved at random intervals. Feeling stiff and startled as to where I was, I remembered the past day with a sinking feeling. I also wondered why Charlie had been so finicky and weird after our confrontation with Malfoy.<p>

That's when I heard breathing very close to my face.

Flinching away, I fought the urge to scream and tried to peer through the dark at the perpetrator. A big hand rested on the side of my bed; my eyes scanned up the arm, and, when I reached the face, found that it was Charlie. His head rested against the side of my bed, and he looked supremely uncomfortable in the wooden, beside chair, though he was deep asleep. I lightly called for Madam Pomfrey, hoping that she could help Charlie.

She came out of her office, not yet in her dressing gown. Her expression was a bit reprimanding, but immediately softened when she saw Charlie.

"I thought he went to his dormitory hours ago," she said in hushed tones.

"Do you think that you could move him to a cot? He carried me around all day, and I think he deserves to have a good night's sleep." Without even thinking about it, I lightly stroked the side of his head, following his hairline and relishing the feeling of his dark locks. He looked so peaceful as he slept...

The smirking Healer used a quick levitating spell, and he was moved to the cot next to me...a whole four feet away. "Miss Fulton, did he obtain any injuries today?"

"I-I think he was splinched, but he had some dittany, and I helped him apply it. His right shoulder was bleeding really badly, and a chunk of skin was missing, but I think the dittany fixed things..." I muttered, fretting once again over him. "I can't believe he carried me all that way! I didn't even think about how it would hurt his shoulder! He should've had more time to rest-"

"Miss Fulton, I can assure you that Mr. Zabini is quite all right. Daemons have a huge amount of strength, and they're also rather fast healers. Your knowledge with the dittany helped even more...I suppose you've read all of the books?"

I nodded with a smile. "Yes; I just never thought that they were true..."

"That's good. Do you suppose that you'd be interested in brewing potions, Miss Fulton? You seem to have good reflexes and ability to follow direction."

"Oh yes!" I exclaimed just a bit too loudly. Quieting myself and making sure that Charlie was still asleep, I felt an excited-beyond-belief-grin pop to my face. "That sounds so amazing! Of course, I'd probably have to start with very basic brews, but maybe I could work up to something! Oh my goodness, that'd be spectacular! Are you sure that I'd be allowed? Don't you have to have some kind of magic to brew potions?"

"Only certain potions, but I'm sure that Professor Slughorn would be more than happy to help you with the occasional spell or two. By the way, I forgot to mention-"

The large door to the hospital wing creaked open lightly. A rather familiar face appeared, smiling slightly but still retaining a sternness about her. "Good evening, Miss Fulton. Is it possible that I might have a word with you?"

Swallowing, I nodded. "Hello, Headmistress McGonagall. Yes, of course."

"Poppy, could you give us a moment?"

Madam Pomfrey left, closing her office door with quick finality.

McGonagall flicked her wand, causing the curtains around Charlie's bed to close.

"Well, Miss Fulton, I have many things that I would like to talk to you about, but little time to discuss all of them." She said briskly. "First and foremost, I would like to tell you that you may indeed stay here at Hogwarts. Due to recent circumstances and developments that I am not allowed to reveal, you shall a student here. You will be sorted into a house and receive the privileges of the other students. Your parents have been made aware of this and have given their permission. You will go through special courses with Professor Slughorn, Madam Pomfrey, and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Wilkins. Any questions?"

My world was turned upside down in the twenty seconds that she spoke.

"Professor, I'm not sure you understand; I'm a Muggle. I have little to no magical ability! I can't impose on all of you like this! It's not right!"

She shook her head. "Miss Fulton, I have the right to believe that, in time, you will become a fully fledged witch. You see, we have traced back your heritage, and two of your grandparents were Pureblooded wizards. They chose to retire to the Muggle community during the First Wizard War, and their daughter (your mother) never developed her magical potential. You, my dear, are about half magical.

"There are ways to unlock your potential," she continued. "I had Poppy do a kind of...scan on your brain. Something is blocking your magical ability, but the ability is most definitely there. It's actually a very common thing; most Squibs merely have something very stubbornly blocking their magic...it usually only happens because of some kind of spell. Your grandparents didn't have many allies, and it would be completely possible that one of their enemies blocked your magic.

"Your training with Professor Wilkins will hopefully unlock your potential. This procedure has only been preformed four times in all of recorded history, but, for your situation, it must be done or there will be grave consequences. If you do not wish to do this, Miss Fulton, consider yourself warned."

I gaped at her, my mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Sensing my distress, she patted my hand and half-smiled at me. "I'll give you until tomorrow night to make your decision. Once you have decided, please have Mr. Zabini bring you to my office. Have a good night, Miss Fulton."

She strode out, her shoes click-clacking on the tiled floor.

I felt tears of both joy and distress leak down my cheeks, and I quietly cried myself back to sleep.

* * *

><p>The morning sunlight filtered through the large windows in the hospital wing, waking me up at nearly the crack of dawn. Charlie slept peacefully behind the still-closed curtains (as was obvious by his loud breathing). My ankle was fully healed, and I decided to go for a walk outside to clear my head.<p>

I gingerly got out of the bed, not wanting to put too much strain on my ankle. After a quick peek behind Charlie's curtains (he looked so attractive when he was sleeping) to assure that he really was asleep, I made my getaway.

It was a bit chilly outside, but nothing unbearable. Walking with purpose down to the woods by Hagrid's hut, I froze in my footsteps when I saw a blond head of hair already in the forest. Luna Lovegood stood ten feet in front of me, bare feet and all, walking into the forest.

"Hey!" I called, walking a little faster to meet her. "Do you mind if I join you? Are you going to see the thestrals?"

The dreamy eyed girl turned around with a small smile. "Hello, Clara. Of course you may join me. Would you like some meat to feed our friends?"

She slapped a large cut of...something into my hand and set off again.

"Luna, how did you know my name?"

"I'm very perceptive," she responded lightly. "I'm also friends with Neville, who heard from Ron, who heard from Harry, who saw you and Charles coming up the front path. You're a Squib with blocked powers, correct?"

Gaping, I nodded.

"Well, I'm sure it won't be too hard to find yourself." She concluded, coming to a stop in the middle of a clearing. "Here we go; they should be here any second."

And indeed, they were. Black as night, velvety, and slightly startling, the thestrals walked into view, much to my surprise. When the implications of seeing a thestral hit me, I nearly had a panic attack.

"L-Luna. I can see them. Does-does that mean that I-?"

"That you saw someone die? Yes." She put a soothing hand on my shoulder. "Thestrals aren't bad, they're just a part of life. Everybody dies, Clara Fulton."

Feeling the depressing spirit that seemed to hang in the air, I turned to her. "Luna, I'm afraid. Nobody will tell me anything except that I'll face 'grave consequences' if I don't go through with this. What am I supposed to do?"

"Go through with it, of course. Things will look up, I'm sure."

She bent down and plucked a large blue wildflower from the grass at our feet. Handing it to me, she gestured to the hungry thestrals. I held out my meat offering, letting the creature of death accept it from my hand.

I examined the flower before tucking it behind my ear, a little spot of light in the decidedly cloudy situation.

Walking back up to Hogwarts, I noticed a slightly lighter colored branch at the bottom of a willow tree. Picking it up, I realized that it was much too well-designed to be any sort of twig. It was someones wand.

I gingerly tucked the apparatus in my pocket, knowing full-well that a wizard and/or witch would not be pleased if I broke their wand. _I'll give this to McGonagall during the meeting today,_ I decided, fixing my bed-head hair as much as I could before once again returning to the castle.

Figuring that I should probably check in with Madam Pomfrey, I began my journey to the hospital wing. After about ten minutes of wandering up and down the same set of corridors, I finally came to the conclusion that I was dreadfully lost. Just as I was about to ask a friendly painting of a cherub for directions, I heard footsteps coming my way. Turning, I was nearly bowled over by a very worried looking Zabini boy, who held me in his arms as though I would disappear if he didn't. I blushed and half-hugged him back.

"Clara, where were you! Madam Pomfrey woke me up an hour ago wondering where you were, and I had no idea! Did somebody kidnap you? Did you get lost looking for the bathroom? Are you okay?" He pulled back and looked into my face, examining me closely.

Smiling ashamedly, I looked at the wall behind him and began my story. "Well, I woke up really, really early this morning, so I went outside to get some fresh air, and I ran into Luna Lovegood. She took me down to the forest, gave me some raw meat, and we fed the thestrals...I could see them, too! I guess I must've seen somebody, erm, kick the bucket. Anyway, I walked back up to the castle, and I was on my way back, but I got extremely lost. I was just about to ask this cherub for directions when you come out of the blue."

"Oh," he said, sounding relieved. "Well, at least you were with Luna. It would be just awful if something were to happen to you..."

We both realized that I was still in his arms. Simultaneously letting go, we both blushed deep scarlet and avoided eye contact. Just as things began to get awkwardly silent, I busted out the whole, "I'm a witch," thing.

"You're a _what_?"

"I'm a witch, at least that's what McGonagall said...technically, I'm a Half Blooded Squib, but she said that there's a way to cure my Squib-y-ness. So I'm going to get sorted into a house and begin some new classes specifically to trigger my magical ability...or something like that."

I found myself being swung around and around euphorically, clutched tightly to Charlie's chest as he held me. Setting me down, he gave me a look of absolute joy and gratitude, which confused me even more.

"Charlie, why are you so excited?"

"Because this means that I'm going to live past my birthday!" He exclaimed, seeming to think better of it after he'd spoken. As that hung in the air, I gaped at him.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I began my rant. "Why wouldn't you live past your birthday? Why would my learning magic change anything like that? What aren't you telling me, Charlie Zabini? Tell me or, heaven help me, I will find out!"

He grabbed my hand and led me off in the opposite direction as I lapsed into a stony silence. Stopping, he looked deep into my eyes and stepped just a bit closer, putting his hands on my shoulders. "I can't tell you now, Clara, but I promise I'll tell you when the time is right, okay?"

"When the time is right, then, but that time had better be soon..." I mumbled.

Though outwardly I still appeared miffed, I was inwardly thrilled that he was touching me. "Would you mind taking me to McGonagall's office, now?"

* * *

><p>McGonagall was pleased. "Thank you for accepting the offer, Miss Fulton. I promise you will not be disappointed with Hogwarts' curriculum. Besides, you know many spells from the books; that will help as a fundamental foundation to build upon. Now, if you're ready to be sorted-"<p>

"Wait!" I interrupted. "Sorry, Headmistress, but I found a wand this morning, and I thought that you should give it to whomever it belongs to."

Producing the light colored wand from my pocket, I laid it on her desk. McGonagall raised her own wand and used some sort of identifying spell.

"Willow wood, eleven inches, springy, good for charms, unicorn hair core..." She mumbled. "Previous owner... Miss Fulton, I'm afraid there is no previous owner. Perhaps you'd like to keep the wand? It chose you, it seems."

She handed it back to me and I took it carefully. It seemed to fit very easily in my hand, as though it was perfectly sculpted for my palm and my palm only. Giving her a grin, I tucked it in my pocket. She _accio_-ed the Sorting Hat and placed it on my head.

The warm, worn leather settled over my eyes, and I suddenly felt very enlightened.

_Hello, Miss Fulton. Are you quite ready to be sorted? I should've met you seven years ago... _The hat seemed to whisper into my ear, the words reverberating in my head.

_Hello, Sorting Hat. Yes, I think I'm ready. Sorry for the delay._ I thought back with a smile.

_Hmm...very kind, intuitive, helpful, and highly smart..._

_I couldn't survive in Slytherin, could I, Sorting Hat?_ I questioned.

_No, my dear, I don't think you could. And I doubt that you'd much like Gryffindor. Hmm...better be..._

I rapidly thought; _Please not Hufflepuff, please not Hufflepuff!_

"RAVENCLAW!"

McGonagall pulled the hat off of my head and congratulated me. She said that she'd have Charlie take me down to the Common Room, and that everything I'd need would be ready for me in my dormitory.

I thanked her and hummed my way out of the office, fiddling with the blue flower still behind my ear. A sudden thought came to mind; _Will Charlie be disappointed that I'm not in Slytherin? Oh, but how could I be in Slytherin? I'm a nerd..._

Down the winding, moving staircase I went, prepared to meet Charlie at the bottom.

As the statue moved, however, I didn't only meet Charlie. He stood there, talking with a keen looking girl who had puffy brown hair (though it was good puffy, per say). She bore the Gryffindor crest on her robes, and I immediately knew who she was.

Charlie's back was to me, and I slightly waved at Hermione Granger. She raised her eyebrows and waved back with a slight smile. "Hello, you must be Clara."

Sir Zabini finally turned around and gave me a smile. "Hey, what house did you get?"

"Ravenclaw..."

I saw a strange emotion flash through his eyes that disappeared in just a moment...sadness? "Oh yeah? That's good; they'll be really great tutors." His voice sounded a bit squeaky and forced.

"Yeah..." I forced my attention on to Hermione. "Hello. From the Gryffindor robes and your renowned hair, I'd guess that you're Hermione Granger." She grinned and nodded, shaking my hand enthusiastically.

"Very pleased to meet you, Clara," Hermione began. "Zabini here told me your story, and you just let me know if you need help with anything, anything at all! I'm sure you're a smashing study buddy...how about we arrange to get together in the library sometime?"

"That sounds cool. I'll get back to you when I get my schedule."

"Great! Well, I have to meet Harry and Ron soon, so I'd better be going. Nice talking to both of you, and hope you enjoy Ravenclaw, Clara!" She gushed, smiling one last time before exiting.

I turned to Charlie with a smirk. "She's a lot more bubbly than the books make her out to be..."

"Definitely."

* * *

><p>"Well, here's the Ravenclaw Common Room. I'm sure you know about the question answering, and the knocker and things...um, have a great time, make friends..." Charlie said weirdly. "And...bye, I guess."<p>

He turned on his heel and swiftly started to walk away.

"Charlie, wait!" I called, running a bit to match his long strides.

I looked up at him, but he wouldn't meet my gaze. "Charlie, look at me." His sea green eyes finally met mine, and I reached up to put my hands on his shoulders. "Dude, did you really think that I could be in Slytherin? They'd torture me, and it just-"

"But I would be there to protect you," he interrupted quietly, sounding angered at the implication that he wouldn't be.

"I agree, you would be there. But not all the time, Charlie. Not at night to protect me from the other girls in the dormitory, not during every class. It's not your job to be my Guardian Angel...I'll be safer here."

He pulled away from my arms, his voice getting louder. "But you won't need me anymore! You're going to be a witch, and you'll be able to do everything by yourself! We won't see each other, Clara! And I'll-I'll miss you!"

I wrapped my arms around his waist, giving him a huge hug and laying the side of my face against his chest. "I'll never forget about you, Blaise Charles Zabini. Never."

He sighed and laid his head on mine. "Thank you."

After a moment, I pulled back, giving him a nervous smile before heading over to the concealed doorway.

"_If a tree falls to the ground, and no one is around, does it make a sound?_" The raven knocker asked.

"Well," I deliberated, "if a tree falls to the ground, and no one is around, it makes a sound that no one hears."

"_Good logic,_" it replied as the door slid open.

I looked back at Charlie one more time, feeling nostalgic as I waved.

The door closed behind me, but I could almost hear him say, "Good luck."

* * *

><p>"You must be Clara Fulton. I'm Padma Patil; very pleased to make your acquaintance." A dark haired girl said as I took in the enormous Common Room. She lowered her voice and leaned in closer. "And don't worry, I'll make sure the Slytherins don't get to you. You're safe here. We care about brains, not blood."<p>

I thanked her, feeling guilty about Charlie before asking where I could find the dormitory.

She directed me to a connected staircase that rested to the left of the room, and told me to go all the way up. I thanked her again and began my assent.

The dormitory was decked in hues of blue and bronze and it looked very well cared for. I wondered if there really _had_ been a war in this impeccable castle...not that I would say that to anyone.

Almost all of the beds had some kind of personal possession on them; a stuffed animal here, a fuzzy blanket there. I figured that the newest looking one near the far window was mine. Striding over there, I saw that a trunk at the base of the bed read "Clara A. Fulton." I opened it and saw a few sets of school robes and even more clothes from home. On top of everything was the stuffed teddy bear that I slept with every night.

"Sir Theodore!" I exclaimed, hugging the raggedy bear close to my chest.

I sniffed his fur and a wave of homesickness hit me. I lied down on my bed, sniffling slightly and petting Theodore's fur. A tapping at the closest window broke me from my pity party, and I glanced up to see a black owl pecking at the panes.

After I set down my teddy, I shoved the window open, allowing the owl to fly in. He stuck out his leg, as I'd seen happen dozens of times in the movies, and I carefully took the cream colored parchment from him. The bird nipped at my hand, and I remembered that he wanted a treat. I rifled through my trunk until I saw a pack of gummy worms that my mom had probably sent. Quickly tossing one to the owl, I turned the note over to see "Clara" written in loose, boyish cursive.

I put my thumb under the lip of the envelope and opened it, reading the attached message.

* * *

><p><em>Clara,<em>

_I miss you already. Are the birds' dormitories alright?_

_Write back soon,_

_~Charlie_

* * *

><p>I giggled girlishly, startling the owl. I pulled out a piece of notebook paper from my trunk and began a letter of my own.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Charlie..<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Anddddddd there's that chapter! It's UBER long, if you couldn't tell; I honestly completely deviated from my original idea, but I think this is going to be spectacular!

Hopefully you can see things heating up between our dear Clara and Charlie...which, by the way, remember that Charlie and Blaise are the same person...hope I didn't confuse anyone!

Anyway, pretty please review! I really would love love love some feedback on how the readers are feeling about this story! *glares slightly at the people who favorited but didn't review* :P

Have a lovely, lovely day, and a FANTASTIC new year!

Love, Little Miss English Ner


	6. I Want to Hold Your Hand

**The Daemon Diaries**

Little Miss English Nerd

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 5<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Thank you SO MUCH for reading, and prettttty please review to tell me how you think I'm doing!

* * *

><p>The next morning, Padma Patil saw me fiddling with my iPod hopelessly, and she said that she could help me out.<p>

"Whoa, really?" I asked Padma, watching over her shoulder as she took the device.

"Yeah," she confirmed, tapping the music player with her wand. "Muggle devices usually don't work here because of all the magical interferences, but this spell should make it function properly. Here, give it a go."

I took the MP3 player and shuffled through my songs, selecting "Your Love is My Drug" by Ke$ha and laughing in surprise when the song came through the speakers.

Padma gasped, jumping up and screaming, "I LOVE THIS SONG!"

She began singing along, and I decided I might as well join in.

"Maybe I need some rehab, or maybe I just need some sleep," we sang rather obnoxiously, each doing a little boogie of our own. "I gotta sick obsession, I'm seeing it in my dreams. I'm looking down every alley, I'm making those desperate calls. I'm staying up all night hoping, dreaming, banging my head against the wall. Because your love, your love, your love, is my drug."

That continued for the next three minutes or so, and by the time it was over, we were both breathlessly laughing.

Padma turned to me with a smile. "You know what, Clara? I think you're going to make this year very interesting..."

"Thanks...I think."

"Anyway, are you hungry enough to go get some breakfast?"

I thought about it for a second, then nodded. To prove my point, my stomach growled quite noisily. She laughed and led the way down the stairs. As we went through the Common Room, she waved at a few people and whispered their names to me under her breath.

"That's Michael Corner...fine piece of man, if you ask me." She giggled. "Oh, and that's his friend, Jason Crane, also rather attractive. That's Luna Lovegood over in the big armchair, and Claire Thorpe is on the couch to her right. Claire is the year behind, but she's very sweet."

"I highly doubt that I'll remember many of their names, but thanks."

"You start classes today, right? Do you have herbology with the Gryffindors, too?"

I glanced at my small schedule and shook my head. "No, sorry. I have potions with the Slytherins; I don't have herbology until this afternoon."

"It's weird that they split up the houses for classes this year," Padma said with a pondering expression. "And not to mention meal times."

"Wait...what?"

Padma elaborated. "Well, we're allowed to sit at the other tables for almost every meal. Oh, that's right, you didn't eat dinner with us last night...anyway, it's rather odd, but no one really complains. I get to sit with my sister, so I'm okay with it."

"That's nice," I said happily. Maybe a bit too happily.

"What's got you so euphoric? Are you going to sit with a boy from another house?"

My eyes widened for a moment. "Well, yeah, but he's just a friend."

"Oh my Weasley, who is it? A Gryffindor? A Hufflepuff? A Weasley?" She pressed.

"A Slytherin."

She looked scandalized. "No way! Who?"

"Charlie Zabini...he was living in America over the summer, and he's the one that brought me here in the first place..."

"Are you sure he's just a friend? You seem to be blushing in a more-than-friend manner." She observed as I clutched at my burning hot cheeks in embarrassment.

"Okay, fine, maybe I have a teensy weensy crush on him...but it's nothing serious, and I'm very sure that he doesn't return the feelings...I mean, who would?"

We had arrived in the entrance hall, and Padma left to sit by her sister with a mysterious, "We'll see about that..."

I stood, feeling rather lost in the middle of the hall before I heard a very familiar voice.

"Clara, wait up!"

Turning with a smile, I caught Charlie's gaze as he arrived. "Hey, Charlie."

He looked extremely handsome in his school uniform; the black slacks, Slytherin tie, white button up, and green rimmed sweater vest fit him perfectly, and his dark, outer robe only added to the effect. His hair was out of his face (though attractively unruly), and his green-blue eyes basically shone.

I felt quite the opposite in my robes; my hair had been rather difficult that morning, so I had fishtail braided it out of my face and used a polka dotted blue headband that Padma had lent me to hold it in place. Black converse clad my feet, and my skirt just didn't seem to hang right over my uniform, knee high socks. My useless wand was stuffed unceremoniously up my right sleeve, and my usual abundance of bracelets covered my wrists. I wore minimal makeup (only black eyeliner and a bit of mascara), and my Ravenclaw tie seemed just a bit too floppy for my liking.

Charlie bent down and gave me a hug, surprising me with his display of affection.

"Mmm, you smell good. How'd you sleep?" He questioned, fiddling with the end of my braid as he pulled out of the embrace.

I was still caught up in his comment about my scent, and I merely shrugged my shoulders. When I found my voice, I thanked him for the letter, saying that it had made me feel a bit better last night.

"No problem. Anyway, I was thinking that we could sit with the Golden Trio today, sound alright to you?" At my nod of approval, he began walking into the hall.

It felt as though all eye were on me. I could hear little snippets of conversations and rumors buzzing about the hall when people saw me.

"I heard that her parents are escaped convicts-"

"I think she's pregnant with Zabini's child-"

"She apparently isn't even a witch. What the heck is she doing here?"

"Her last name is Fulton...doesn't ring a bell. She must be a Muggleborn-"

Charlie heard the skeptics, too. "Don't worry, they're just excited that there's a new girl," he explained, offering me a smile. "Here we are. Good morning, Granger. Mind if we sit here?"

Hermione smiled up at us and shook her head. "Morning, you two. That sounds fine; the boys will be down later. Anyway, how was your first night here, Clara?"

"Um, it was okay," I said awkwardly, grabbing a piece of toast from a nearby platter. "I was feeling a little homesick, but I think I'm good now. Hey, what does marmalade taste like?"

Charlie looked distracted by something, so Hermione answered. "It's a kind of orange jam...it's really sweet, so I wouldn't recommend spreading it all over your toast if you've never had it before. Do you want strawberry instead?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

We all ate in silence for a moment, chewing our food casually.

Hermione took a swig of something. "Anyway, what does your schedule look like, Clara? Do you have herbology first?"

"No, I have potions, two study periods, then herbology...I also have some kind of private lesson with Professor Wilkins after herbology; some kind of occlumency type thing."

"Is that really all you have?" Charlie barged in, ceasing my schedule and looking for himself. "That's rubbish."

"Well, I can't really _do_ any magic yet, so I kind of can't take any other classes..."

"What about divination?" Hermione suggested.

I took my schedule back from Charlie. "I apparently have that tomorrow. And hang on, I thought you hated divination, Hermione?"

"The prophecy about Harry and Voldemort proved to be true, so I figure that some people may actually be able to predict the future. Besides, Trelawney was replaced because she apparently went mad over the summer; I'm sure the new professor is much more capable."

Two boys sat on the bench next to Hermione, the ginger headed one already stuffing his face with food while the other offered a brief "good morning" before tucking in.

Ron kept shoveling food into his food-hole, completely oblivious that I existed until he looked up to take a drink. "Oi, who are you?"

"Ron, this is Clara Fulton. She's the new Ravenclaw seventh year." Hermione said.

The Weasley boy raised his eyebrows. "Oh, hi."

"Hi," I responded, turning back to my pumpkin juice.

The trio kept up a stream of conversation before Charlie interrupted. "Well, it looks like classes are going to start soon. Clara, we'd better get to potions. See you, guys."

"Bye," the trio responded simultaneously.

* * *

><p>"Today you will be brewing Polyjuice Potion. You won't be starting from the beginning of the cycle, but only because it takes quite a long time to make; I have some that's almost finished, though I must warn you that the last few steps are the trickiest. You may each choose one partner. Come up to my desk to collect your sample, and then you may begin." Slughorn pondered something, then snapped his fingers with a laugh. "Oh, I almost forgot; some of these potions will be used to conduct a sort of Ministry test, so please make them consumable. <em>Now<em> you may begin."

Charlie scooted his chair a little closer, and I smiled at him. "I'll go get the starter potion, shall I?"

I grinned and nodded, opening my book and sighing dreamily at his retreating figure.

_Oh, Charlie Zabini, why are you so crazily perfect?_

I caught Malfoy's eye from across the room, though he didn't look very hostile. On the contrary, he seemed to be almost...smiling at me? I blinked, thoroughly convinced that it was an illusion or hallucination or something, but his expression remained the same. He nodded his head and went back to his potion.

"Clara? Earth to Clara?" A hand waved in front of my face and I snapped out of my stupor. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Charlie, thanks. Um, let's get started. It says that we have to shred the boomslang skin very finely, though long. How about you do half and I do half?"

As we each shredded our allotted amount of skin, I pondered why Malfoy would ever smile at me. I must've been highly distracted, and I realized too late that I'd been cutting just a tad too close to my thumb.

"Dang it!" I cried, sucking on the injured appendage and making sure none of my blood had gotten on the boomslang.

"What? What's the matter?"

"It's alright, Charlie. Do you know any abrasion healing charms or anything? Oh, and hurry! We've got to get this skin in soon!"

He lightly grasped the hand that was still held up to my mouth, popping my thumb out and examining it as a stream of blood rolled towards my palm. Pulling out his wand, he tapped it and muttered something under his breath. The blood went straight back into the wound, and the scratch itself disappeared. Charlie held onto my hand for just a moment longer, smiled, and went back to working.

I nearly fainted right there and then. The compassion in his eyes and on his face were so evident that I could barely even understand it. Why would Charlie look at me like that? Unless...

_No, Clara, don't get your hopes up,_ my conscience whispered. _He probably just thinks you're a friend...but maybe he doesn't! "You smell good?" Sending notes? Hugging me as a greeting? Oh my word, it's not even possible...is it?_

My palms felt a bit sweaty as I dropped in the ingredient. I grabbed the stirring spoon and went counter clockwise for a minute. Charlie watched me lazily, laying his head on top of his arm and half-closing his eyes. When the minute was up, I looked over at him, knocking lightly on his head.

"Wakey wakey. We've gotta put the crystals in," I explained, blushing as he looked up at me before I turned away.

I hummed a little tune under my breath as we grated the crystals into a fine powder, not even realizing I was doing so.

"That's the song from our music box," Charlie stated happily.

Stopping, I noticed that I had been humming "Once Upon a December."

"You're a good hummer, you know. Do you sing?"

"A little," I admitted with a reddening face. "But I don't think I'm all that great...I just like music in general. I also play the piano a teeny tiny bit, but I'm not very good."

"You'll have to sing for me sometime...sometime that's not in the middle of potions class." I could've sworn he winked, but it must've just been my lovestruck eyes playing tricks on me. I nodded, turning back to the ground crystal.

"Will you measure out an ounce for me, Charlie?"

"For you, definitely."

Stirring the potion again with heated cheeks, I felt shivers run up my back. After a quick glance over my shoulder, I realized that Malfoy was watching Charlie and me, but with an unfathomable expression. I could literally feel his gaze, and it made me highly uncomfortable.

"Charlie?" I whispered, craning my neck towards him.

"Yes?" He mimicked in a stage whisper.

"Why is Malfoy watching us?"

After he had snuck a peek, he rolled his eyes. "He's got his reasons. Don't worry, though, I'm sure he'll get over it soon."

"Okay, I guess..."

"Class," Slughorn said behind me, startling me and causing me to drop the spoon with a load clank. The Professor turned to me with a smile. "Alright there, Miss Fulton? Anyway, class, you have ten minutes left, and you should be on the last few steps of the potion. Watch your time closely, please."

My face was still warm from the spoon incident. Charlie had already added the crystals, and the last two steps involved spells. With a skilled hand, Charlie waved his wand as I continued stirring. After the second spell was cast, the potion seemed to look rather swamp-like, something that, according to the book, was a good thing.

"Well, looks like we're done. Is Slughorn coming around to check?" I asked as I began cleaning up the station.

"Yeah, he'll be here in another minute or so...hey Clara, have you ever had a boyfriend?"

My face was really as red as a Weasley's hair. "No, not really...there was this one guy in middle school, and we kind of liked each other, but I didn't overly like anyone at school after that."

"Oh, okay, just wondering."

Sitting down in my chair, I looked around the class a little bit, "Once Upon a December" still stuck in my head. I smiled when I saw Michael Corner's potion splat onto the counter, though I felt a little bad...he was _Goyle's_ partner, after all.

"Ah, Mr. Zabini and Miss Fulton," the voice of our Professor sounded as he approached our table. "May I have a look at your potion?"

We nodded, and he peered into the murky depths of the cauldron somewhat wearily. However, an enlightened expression cross his face as he looked at us. "Merlin's beard, this potion looks spectacular! Now, we can't quite test its effects yet, but I'm sure it works just superbly. Ten points to Slytherin and fifteen points to Ravenclaw for your first successful potion, Miss Fulton. Cheers!"

Matching grins of joy crossed over both of our faces, and I held out my fist for a knuckle touch. After a moment passed, I saw Charlie just staring at my fist.

"Are you going to punch me or something?" He asked warily.

"No, no! You're supposed to touch your fist to mine; it's like a high five."

"Oh...like this?"

He large fist bumped mine, and I smiled. "Yes, like that."

"Cool."

* * *

><p>Lunch that day was average, though I had a multitude of spiky thorns in my braid and on my clothes from herbology. I once again sat near Hermione, waiting for Charlie and the other two-thirds of the "Golden Trio" to show up.<p>

All of a sudden, a Slytherin boy that I couldn't recognize was screaming at an angry, nearby Hufflepuff. "SHUT UP, YOU LITTLE MUDBLOOD!"

About ten people stood up, glaring at the boy while a few rushed to the Hufflepuff's side.

"Shut up, Nott!" A Ravenclaw guy retorted. "You're nothing but a fallen Death Eater."

The onlookers responded with appropriate "Oohs," and it seemed as though the teachers didn't even exist; they did nothing! My brown haired lunch buddy had a sort of fire in her eyes, and she soon followed the people who had stood up.

Everyone in the hall turned to her, equal expressions of anticipation on their faces.

"You know what? Why don't you all shut up?" She roared, swinging her arms and knocking over my goblet in the process. "Who cares? Blood status is nothing, and the war is behind us! You know what you all _should_ be worrying about? Magical Creatures and their rights! Talk about injustice!" The audience moaned slightly.

"Why are you so concerned about Magical Creatures' rights, Granger? Because you are one?"

The flames in Hermione's eyes hardened with anger. "You did _not_ just say that!"

Within a second, Hermione and the boy both had their wands out, daring the other to fire the first curse. Half the hall was on their feet, effectively shutting out both incoming students and the teachers. After the catalytic beginning, everyone seemed to be picking a fight with someone or other, and a random Slytherin girl who bore a striking resemblance to Pansy Parkinson approached me.

"Yeah, who are you to suddenly barge in here unannounced, Fulton?" She sneered, poking me in the shoulder with her wand. "You read the book series and want to come to Hogwarts? I bet you can't even preform a simple spell! Filthy little Mud-"

"I wouldn't finish that word if I were you, Parkinson." A fuming Seamus Finnegan boomed from beside me. "Who are you to attack an innocent pedestrian? She has every right to be here, more right than you!"

"Oh no you didn't!" The witch screamed, ignoring her wand completely and throwing herself at Seamus. As I watched helplessly from the bench, somebody or other had gotten the idea. The two most dreaded cafeteria words sprang out of the crowd.

"FOOD FIGHT!"

Directly after that, a huge wad of mashed potatoes slammed into the side of my face. Nobody moved a muscle as they all watched me. My eye twitched in uncontrolled fury, and I grabbed the nearest food-which happened to be a plate of meatballs.

"ALL RIGHT, WHO THREW THAT?" I shrieked, though I was half laughing.

Smaller fights went on all around me, but I caught a suspicious looking Ron Weasley slowly edging away from the scene.

"Ronald Weasley, prepare to die!"

I jumped up on the table and ran to catch up with his retreating figure. He turned around, yelped, and kept running. Luck was on my side, however, and I was able to catch up with him. I dumped the whole bowl of meatballs and tomato sauce on his head.

He blinked in surprise, then grabbed the next closest dish and hurled it in my general direction. The banana cream pie missed by about five feet and hit a Ravenclaw third year in the face. This, ladies and gentlemen, started the all-out war.

Food flew in every direction, smacking poor bystanders, comrades, and enemies alike.

"STUDENTS, I COMMAND YOU TO STOP THIS INSTANT!" McGonagall's livid voice boomed over the noise of the crowd. "THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE, AND IF ANY ONE OF YOU CONTINUES, YOU SHALL BE EXPELLED!"

Everything grew completely silent aside from the occasional cough or sniffle.

"That's better. Now, I would like to announce that because of your abominable behavior, you will be experiencing a change of dormitory. All houses will be mixed together and distributed throughout the castle by age. There will be no exceptions. The change will take place in the morning, and I would suggest that every one of you pack your things. Classes are cancelled for today, and all of you will go to your dormitories at once. All prefects please report to me."

* * *

><p><strong>CHARLIE'S P.O.V.<strong>

* * *

><p>As everyone filed out of the hall with ashamed andor angered faces, I made my way to the front. I looked for Clara, but couldn't find her anywhere. Sighing, I gave up and walked to the front of the food-stained hall.

McGonagall waited until all of the prefects had assembled. She began speaking, her voice tight and controlled. "Good afternoon. I would like to inform you all that you will be helping us with the new procedures; such measures have only had to be implemented once in all of Hogwarts' history. The four Founders set up a variety of smaller common rooms to be used in such a situation. Thought it may not seem very likely, the Founders were great promoters of house unity; it is written in the Hogwarts' rulebook that if uncontrollable anarchy breaks out between houses again, this procedure must be followed.

"You will all be randomly selected by year and assigned to a new common room. Tomorrow morning, everyone will receive a slip of paper that bears the portrait to their common room. Students will be purposefully mixed with other houses, and there will not be more than ten people to a dormitory.

"As for your roles, you are all going to assist the teachers with the selection process. They have all the instructions you will need, so if a few of you would please follow a teacher back to his or her office, we'll get started. Thank you for your cooperation."

* * *

><p>"Alright, we'll be sorting your own classmates, so if you'll just take this list and write each individual name on a slip of paper, we'll get started." Professor Flitwick squeaked.<p>

The Patil girl nodded enthusiastically and set to work like any Ravenclaw would. I momentarily surveyed the small basin in front of us; the basic concept was quite a lot like the Goblet of Fire, but a bit less random.

As we wrote the names on the bits of paper, a sort of crazy idea went with it, but my frantic brain went with it. I waited until Flitwick left the room before I pounced.

"Hey, you're in the same dormitory as Clara, right?" I questioned my fellow prefect.

She smirked. "Depends on why you're asking, but yes."

"Listen, I really have to be in the same common room as her; I figure it wouldn't be too hard to organize. Flitwick said that we'll be grabbing the slips once they come out of the basin, so whichever dorm I get sorted into, can you just say Clara's name instead?"

A grin was set on her face, and she nodded. I muttered a grateful "thanks" and continued working. Flitwick came back, and we were done in about ten minutes.

We both stood at the basin, waiting for the papers to begin flying out. The first thirty names flew through the air, and they were all sorted accordingly. Another twenty or so were called, and they were also listed. It wasn't until somewhere after the sixtieth that my name was called.

The next name that flew out of the basin was "Terrie Boot," but Padma said that it was "Clara Fulton." Flitwick looked down to scribble in the newest name, and I gave Padma a huge grin that may or may not have split my face in half. When Clara's name was actually called (right near the end of the drawing), I told the Professor that it was "Terrie Boot." He made no objection, and I smirked at how flawlessly my plan had worked out.

* * *

><p><strong>CLARA'S P.O.V.<strong>

After I'd finally gotten all of the food particles out of my hair, I sat on my bed, slightly damp, and thought about Charlie. I knew for sure that I liked him, even though he was half mythical creature and a character from a book series, but I had no idea what he felt for me. Sometimes I would catch him staring at me with this..._look_ in his eyes, and it made me feel really spectacular every time.

I quickly packed up my things as some of the other girls began converging on the room, said good night to them, and drew my curtains. Turning on my iPod, the song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles sang me to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Oh please, say to me<p>

You'll let me be your man

And please, say to me

You'll let me hold your hand.

Now let me hold your hand,

I want to hold your hand.

And when I touch you I feel happy inside.

It's such a feeling that my love

I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide."

* * *

><p><em>The incessant knocking noise at my door aggravated me to no end. Couldn't the person understand that I was just trying to make an apple pie in peace? I kept saying "I'm coming," but the person outside my house wouldn't listen.<em>

_Knock knock knock knock knock._

* * *

><p>I jumped up, breathing kind of hard, and grabbed my clock. 12:45AM. With a deep breath, I rubbed my temples, hoping to ward off the annoying noise.<p>

Knock knock knock knock knock.

I was shocked to realize that the knocking hadn't existed only in my dreams; the sound was coming from the window. All the other girls usually used silencing charms around their beds, so I was the only one that heard. Warily, I approached the window, taking a shaky breath before I placed my fingers under the latch and slid the glass open. I saw no owl, though I doubt an owl could've made that knocking noise in the first place.

"Hello?" I whispered, just in case something was out there.

"Hey."

I squealed quietly, reacting to the whisper that had tickled my left ear. I turned and saw Charlie perched on the roof with a moonlight-illuminated smirk.

"Charlie? What the crap are you doing on the roof?"

He stretched out his legs, getting comfortable. "Going for a little midnight fly. Wanna come out and sit with me?"

For some odd reason, I hadn't noticed his black wings. Duh.

"Um, sure. Let me grab some shoes. Hang on."

I stuck my head back in and went over to my wardrobe, fishing around in the dark for a pair of slippers. When I finally had them, I grabbed a blue blanket from my bed and set out for the roof. Charlie stood by the window, waiting for me like a true gentleman.

He grabbed my hand and held me steady as I climbed out. Though I trusted him, I still feared for my life just a little bit. When I felt the bumpy roof under my feet, I exhaled slowly, allowing Charlie to lead me over a few feet.

We sat down together, my Hello Kitty slipper touching the heel of his shiny black shoe. His wings were spread out, and I could feel them in the air just behind me. I was overwhelmed by curiosity, and I tilted my head to look at the Italian boy beside me.

"Hey, Charlie?"

"Yeah, Clara?"

"Can I touch your wings?"

"Erm, yeah, okay."

He looked a bit taken aback, and I would've sworn that he was blushing if it weren't for the moonlight. I smiled happily at him and crawled around so I was seated behind him. I just kind of stared at his back for a minute, wondering how they were attached. I voiced a few of my questions, and he told me that he'd give me a crash course.

"Alright, Wings 101, I guess." He joked, scooting just a bit closer to me. "Well, I have my wings all the time, yeah. They usually just kind of tuck into my back, and because they're magical, they don't make me look any different. All of my clothes have a spell on them that was invented by a friend of a Daemon about a thousand years ago; the spell allows my wings to come through the clothes but without the rip marks and everything, so that's pretty helpful. And, they're kind of just attached to my back...I don't really know how to describe it...do you wanna see?"

Now I was the taken aback one with the maroon face. "Oh, it's okay, you don't need to show me...besides, it's kind of cold up here, and it'd be awful if you got sick or something."

"It's fine," he insisted, sitting up a little straighter and pulling off his outer robe...then his sweater vest...then his white shirt...then his undershirt.

I couldn't see anything much of the front of him from where I was sitting, but I saw his muscular shoulders and toned back and nearly panted. _Holy hotness, Batman._

Near his shoulders, his wings seemed to join perfectly with his back. They hardly even looked real, but I'm 100% sure they were. No extra skin attached them, but they looked fairly sturdy. Upon instinct, I reached out and touched the junction where they met his back, feeling Charlie shiver under my touch. It was the weirdest sensation; the soft, feathery wings attached to a person. I lightly moved my hands upwards, feeling his down feathers in awe.

Charlie groaned, startling me and causing me to retract my hands.

"No, no, don't stop. That feels so good," he sighed, flicking his wings in a different direction so they were easily within my reach. "It's hard to imagine, but I've never had somebody rub my wings before...most people avoid giving massages to mythical freaks."

"You're neither mythical or a freak. Quite obviously, you're sitting right in front of me, so you're completely real. And you're most certainly not a freak...even if you were, you'd be the friendliest freak I ever did meet."

We both laughed, his low voice corresponding with my, er, normal one.

I moved my hands to his back, rubbing the place in between his wings with my cold (as per usual) hands. Charlie shivered and turned around, grabbing my hands in his warm palms and rubbing them together. Let's just say, I wasn't looking at Charlie's hands.

His chest and stomach were basically perfectly sculpted; forget about Edward Cullen and Jacob Black, this guy was the real deal. My eyes nearly fell out of my head, I'm sure. My eyes began to drift a little lower than was decent, and I forced myself to look up-right into his eyes.

He was only inches away, his warm breath blowing across my face. He still held my hands in his, something that only made me gravitate closer. It would be so easy just to lean in and kiss him, right there and then. It might have just been me, but I felt as though we were getting closer, closer, closer...

"NO WAY!" A voice screamed.

We both jumped out of our skins (figuratively, of course). Padma Patil stood in the window, staring at us with the most joyful expression ever on her face as her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull.

_Curse you to the deepest pit of Calcutta for all of eternity, Padma Patil!_ I inwardly raged.

"Well, aren't you going to kiss now?" She wondered, dreamy eyed.

I looked at a very grumpy Charlie and slowly leaned in. Just as things could've gotten really steamy, I moved my lips to his cheek and firmly kissed him.

The sole audience member moaned in disappointment and moved back from the window. "Fine."

I threw my arms around Charlie's bare torso, trying to forget about the almost-kiss. He hugged me back, sliding his arms around my waist with a sigh.

"You don't know how badly I wanted to kiss you right then," he pouted quietly.

My heart thumped wildly, and I discovered that my slight suspicions had been confirmed.

With a dry mouth, I tried to sound cheery."Save it for some other time, oh lovely Charlie. We should both get to bed."

You could almost hear the DING! in his brain as his eyes lit up. "Oh! That reminds me; you're in my common room!"

"Really? That's awesome!"

"Mhm. Anyway, good night. I'll see you in the morning."

He disentangled himself from my hug and slipped his many layers of clothing over his head. Before he left, he leaned down and kissed me on the cheek, imitating my gesture from before.

"Bye,"

"See you tomorrow, Clara."

With a jump that nearly made me scream in horror (though I knew he was a capable flier), Charlie took off, circling overhead a few times before flapping off to his dorm.

_My oh my, the things you do to me, Charlie Zabini..._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** *giggly snorty girly thinger* Oh my gosh, I had SO much fun writing this chapter! Anyway, pretty please review and tell me if you liked the romance! Also, did you like the switch to Charlie's perspective? I thought it was kind of necessary.

Much love and excitement for the future chapter,

~L.M.E.N


	7. Sir Theodore, Occlumency, and Stars

**The Daemon Diaries**

Little Miss English Nerd

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 6<em>

* * *

><p>"Thank you for your cooperation," McGonagall addressed us the next morning. "I promise all of you that this will worth the current troubles. Now, your head of house will hand out your schedules, so please sit by year at your house tables."<p>

Everyone got lost in the hustle and bustle of the moving students for a moment, but I finally found my way to the Ravenclaw table with Padma. Flitwick came around and gave us our assignments, though we weren't in the same common room.

"Oh well, you've still got Charlie..." She said with a wink.

I blushed and nodded, looking over the list, mentally going over each person.

* * *

><p><strong>1) Draco Malfoy<strong>

_What's up with that kid? Obviously bipolar...oh well, he's still one of my favorite characters...er, people? Never mind._

**2) Lavender Brown**

_Oh, okay...well, she's an epic flirt, but she can't be worse than some of the girls from my old school..._

**3) Blaise Zabini**

_Holy crud, queue the heart palpitations..._

**4) Clara Fulton**

_Yups. Hmmm...I wonder how I managed to get into the same common room as Charlie? Maybe he pulled something...he is a Slytherin, after all...not that I'm complaining!_

**5) Michael Corner**

_He's in Ravenclaw, too...don't know much about him, though._

**6) Ernie McMillan**

_He's a prefect, I think...Hufflepuff._

**7) Seamus Finnegan**

_Oh, he always blows stuff up...should I be worried?_

**8) Susan Bones**

_Errrr...she's a Hufflepuff...she got splinched during apparation tests, right?_

**9) Dean Thomas**

_Gryffindor, dated Ginny Weasley..._

**10) Theodore Nott**

_Isn't he the Slytherin that yelled at the Hufflepuff yesterday? Why are there so many Slytherins and Gryffindors? Oh well, it seems like a decent group...no Slytherin girls, at least._

_Now that you know your group, go meet them in the highest room of the tallest tower._

* * *

><p>"What the-? Is this Shrek? Padma, do you know where-"<p>

But Padma was nowhere to be seen. In fact, half of the students had already left to find their respective dormitories while I'd been so absorbed in my own little bubble of thought. I caught Charlie's gaze from the Slytherin table, and he nodded to the hallway outside.

"Good morning," he said once we met up with each other.

"G'morning," I mumbled through a yawn.

"Not an early riser, I take it?"

With a smile, I shook my head. "No, not usually."

"So, we have to go meet everyone at the astronomy tower. There's an observation deck there, and that's probably what they mean."

"Oh, right, I knew that..."

As we made our way to the tower, he lightly grabbed my hand in his as we walked. My cold palm clashed magnificently with his warm hand, and it felt rather wonderful. Neither of us said much, but we just kept walking, oblivious to the few people who saw us. It felt as though we were in our own happy little world...a few worries still plagued my mind, but I felt relatively good.

I decided not to question what my relationship was with Charlie and just "go with the flow:" guys don't tend to like clingy, desperate seeming girls.

"Alright just one more flight of stairs...maybe our common room is up here?" Charlie queried with a pleased expression. "It'd be a great place to just hop off of...and fly, of course," he added at my worried face.

We found most of our group waiting at the top of the stairs near a large bay window.

"Thank God you're here," Ernie Macmillan exclaimed. "The bloody portrait won't let us in until everyone gets here; we're still waiting on Nott and Malfoy-"

"Who are also here," a voice said from down the stairs.

The two aforementioned Slytherins slithered up the flight of stairs and posed pompously on the perimeter of the posse. **(A/N: Yay for alliteration!)**

"Well? Let us in, you bloody fairy." Malfoy glared at the picture

The portrait was, indeed, of a fairy, though there was no bodily fluid in sight.

"I need some form of affirmation that you are all who you say you are," the fairy replied in a squeaky voice. "You are all required to profess a secret; I am basically a lie detector, and I'll know if any of you are saying something false."

Nott looked furious. "What the devil is wrong with you? Let us in!"

"Not until every one of you tells the group a secret; I will determine whether or not the secret is good enough for you to get in. Also, if any of you reveal a secret to someone outside of this common room, you will find that...certain things will happen."

"Great!" Ernie flopped to the ground and sat against the wall.

We all followed his lead, sitting in a sort of circle and waiting for the first person to start.

"I sleep with a teddy bear called Mr. Chuckles," Seamus admitted ashamedly.

Dean followed. "I used to hate Harry for taking Ginny away, but I'm okay with it now."

"I KISSED NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM!"

We all gasped and stared at Susan, who clasped her hand over her mouth and went completely (and I mean COMPLETELY) red.

"Really? Was he a good kisser?" Lavender questioned. Susan nodded. "Anyway," Lavender continued, "I was only with Ron Weasley to make Hermione jealous; I wanted to have something she couldn't, though that plan didn't work out very well..."

"I'm deathly afraid of chickens," I muttered, hearing the group's laughter.

"I picked my nose until I was ten," Nott admitted reluctantly.

Malfoy coughed. "I watched _A Very Potter Musical_ and enjoyed it."

My eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, really? Did you see the sequel?"

"Yes! It was hysterical! Remember the part with the whole, 'Hermione can't draw, Hermione can't draw,' thing? That was my favorite. And Lauren Lopez was a rather comical version of myself, I must admit." Then Malfoy seemed to find his 'cool zone' again. "But, of course, I only watched it because there was nothing better to do...pffffffft..."

"I visited New York City last summer holiday, and my family and I saw the musical 'Wicked.' I'm obsessed with the soundtrack, and I keep a copy in my trunk." Michael Corner blurted out with an embarrassed expression.

"Charlie?" I questioned. He seemed to be greatly troubled, and hadn't confessed anything.

"Um...my greatest fear is...dying alone and young."

"Alone and young?" Lavender piped up. "Shouldn't it be old?"

"No, young," he determined. "Anyway, are those secrets good enough for you, portrait?"

"Oh, please call me Sparkles. And yes, they are. The password is 'sassafras.' Have a nice day; classes are cancelled again today, but you are required to stay in your dormitory and learn more about each other. I was also told to inform Clara Fulton that her meeting with Professor Wilkins shall be at 8:00 this evening."

"Thank you."

The common room was revealed; decked out in neutral whites and blacks, it looked rather spiffy. Huge bookshelves lined the walls, leaden with books about "communicating feelings" and "cooperation." _Oh brother_. A sitting area was in the middle of the room, containing comfortable looking chairs and couches with abstract black and white patterns, all sitting on top of a luxuriously soft white rug. Two doors were located in the far right corner, while the pair of staircases up to our dormitories stood in the middle, one labeled "Ladies," and the other "Men."

"I call the bed next to the window!" I announced, racing up the stairs with my heavy baggage in tow.

"Not if I beat you there!"

I quickly glanced over my shoulder, seeing a panting Lavender Brown in pursuit. Squealing, I upped my speed, reaching the black dormitory door first. I threw it open, streaking to the bed like my life depended on it.

"Okay...fine, I'll...take the bed...across from you...it...is...the closest to...the...bathroom..."

Laughing a bit at my worn out, huffing and puffing roommate, I smiled at her and began unpacking my things into a little set of drawers located on the right. The room was also black and white; the curtains around the bed had a retro, spotted pattern that complimented the black bedspread nicely. A ladder that led to the stargazing deck where all students took astronomy was located near the doorway. I laid Sir Theodore on my bed, realising with a quiet giggle that he and Theodore Nott shared a name.

"Well, I'm going to head downstairs, now. See you later?"

"Yeah," Lavender said with a smile. "Oh, and I was wondering...would you like to do makeup or something sometime? Not that you need help, but I could show you some things to do with your hair and eyeliner..."

"Sounds great." I waved pleasantly and set off down the stairs again.

The three Slytherin boys lounged there, Charlie on the sofa and the other two in the armchairs, propping their feet up and looking suave. At my entrance, the Daemon grinned widely and his peers sneered.

"Hey Clara," Charlie greeted.

I blushed but smiled all the same. "Hi..."

"So, Fulton, how does it feel to be a Muggle in Hogwarts?" Malfoy questioned.

"Just fine, thanks."

I took the extra seat next to Charlie, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes at the snobby Slytherin. As I opened my mouth to say something else, an owl flew through the open window on the left side of the fireplace. Landing on the arm of the sofa, the bird held its leg out to me. After we had called down our other dorm mates, I cleared my throat and began reading.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Draco Malfoy, Lavender Brown, Blaise Zabini, Clara Fulton, Michael Corner, Ernie MacMillan, Seamus Finnegan, Susan Bones, Dean Thomas, and Theodore Nott,<em>

_I hope that you are well and settled; over the course of the next year, a few different things will happen._

_1) There will be random inspections of your common room to check for cleanliness, so please stay prepared._

_2) Certain activities will be implemented, both school related and not._

_3) The House point system is now by common room, not Hogwarts House. Don't let your new house mates down._

_4) You will need to supply your own suppers on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday; there is a door that leads to a small kitchen in your common room. The refrigerator will be fully stocked, and you may assign duties among yourself. As for other meals, you will be sitting at smaller tables with your house and only one other dormitory. The arrangements will change periodically._

_5) This is a graded course. At the end of the year, you and your other house mates will take a survey pertaining to this assignment. Please be ready; get to know the people around you, and forget about prejudices._

_Good evening,_

_Headmistress McGonagall_

* * *

><p>"Well, this is just spectacular," Nott grunted, leaving his armchair and going up to his room.<p>

The rest of the people dispersed, each with their own opinions on the matter.

"Well, this'll be exciting," I mused, looking at Charlie and Lavender who had remained.

"Definitely! I heard a rumor that they'll be using Polyjuice Potion!"

"Lavender, you can't be serious," I shook my head.

Charlie shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. They did say that the potion would be used for some kind of 'Ministry Testing,' so maybe they'll test it on us?"

* * *

><p>"Welcome to my office, Miss Fulton. I'm Professor Wilkins."<p>

_Hell-oooooo Professor Wilkins._

He looked to be in his thirties; casual hair, some stubble, and bright blue eyes. I gulped a little bit and smiled embarrassingly at him.

"Hi, I'm Clara. Not that you didn't know that, of course, but I...I should probably just shut up now." I stuttered out the whole sentence, looking at the floor. Clearing my throat, I began again. "Anyway, how are you going to help me...erm, 'unlock my wizarding potential?'"

"Very good question. If you'll have a seat there, we'll begin."

The seat sat in the middle of the mostly empty room, reminding me of when Harry and Snape had been having Occlumency lessons. My throat felt a little dry, but I made my way over.

A hand on his jaw, the Professor began to walk around my chair, rubbing his stubble in a very attractive, maybe even -dare I say- sexy manner.

"You look like the typical Ravenclaw, Miss Fulton." He started in a low voice. "For these classes, however, you must take on traits from all of the classes. You will have to be wise like the raven, brave like the lion, docile like the badger, and clever like the snake.

"Now, this process has only been completed fully four times, as you probably know. It involves a lot of memory resurrecting...basically, I have to find whatever caused this blockage in your brain. To do that, I must go through nearly all of your other memories to reach it, as the event probably happened when you were no more than a baby. The more recent memories will 'play' very fast because they're most fresh on your mind, but after the last three years or so, things will get more difficult.

"You'll have to be trusting. I can't make that happen, but I do promise not to expose any of your secrets to the world. This will be between you and me only. Are you ready to start?"

He stood in front of me, wand in hand, with raised eyebrows.

With a slightly forced nod, I agreed.

"_Legilimens._"

The first few memories were the most recent, and they whizzed by with barely a thought. After a few year's worth of normal, irrelevant memories, things began to slow down.

* * *

><p><em>She snapped at me, ever more angered. "Clara! Get down here now! We're going to be late for the funeral!"<em>

"_Coming, Mom! Calm down for Heaven's sake!"_

_I raced down the staircase in my black dress, trying not to slip in the high heels._

"_Alright, we've gotta go. Get out to the car; I'll get your father."_

* * *

><p><em>Her face was pallid, eyes closed, hands crossed at her breast, and skin as wrinkled as ever. I held back a sob as I stared at the dead countenance of my beloved grandmother.<em>

_The sadness overwhelmed me so much that I couldn't even focus on the remembrances that wouldn't do her justice...I only caught bits and peaces of the various speeches._

"_Joanne lived a stupendous life; she will forever be remembered for her loving and compassionate nature...a true honest-to-good woman who will always be loved and missed..."_

"_Though the years pass by and fade, our memories stay fresh as spring flowers..."_

"_Amen."_

* * *

><p><em>The dirt fell on the coffin with a residual THUD. Back and forth the shovels moved, each time making my heart hurt all the more. The tombstone bore her name, birth, and death dates. A simple rose was engraved upon the surface. Just before the tomb was completely sealed off, I dropped in my white rose, tears trailing down my cheeks as my parents held me close.<em>

* * *

><p>Even then, in reality, tears fell down my face. A feeling of absolute anger suddenly clenched on me. <em>How dare they do this!<em>

"No! Never again!" I shrieked, jumping out of the chair and knocking his wand from where it was pointed at my head. "This is sick! Who wants magic anyway? I don't want to remember that! I'm sorry, but you wizards are twisted and wrong and-and just plain sick!"

As I was running from the room, his voice echoed back to me.

"Miss Fulton! The consequences will be deadly!"

I sobbed into the common room, hoping that no one would be there to witness.

Just my luck; the whole "house" sat around the fire, gawking at me as I came in.

"Clara? Clara, what's wrong? What happened?"

His voice was concerned, but I couldn't care less.

I hissed through clenched teeth. "You wizards are awful. Leave me alone, Zabini."

I ran up the steps to the dormitory, hearing the worried teenagers behind me.

Arriving, I grabbed Sir Theodore and climbed up the ladder that led to the rooftop. A moment later, I threw the bear from my sight. As what I'd done sunk in, I gasped.

"NO!"

I ran to the edge of the observation deck, almost losing my footing on the smooth stone. I shook like a leaf, looking frantically over the edge for the well worn bear that my grandmother had given me when I was a baby.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

Collapsing on the cold roof, wind whipping everywhere, I wrapped my arms around my head and wailed.

I let the exhaustion overcome me and fell asleep, succumbing to comforting dreams.

* * *

><p>The first thing I noticed when I awoke was warmth.<p>

My sore, itchy eyes stayed closed, and though I could feel the wind tossing my hair here and there, I didn't feel as cold as I should have. Something was clutched around my middle, and a steady thumping noise thudded under my ear. I knew I was no longer lying on the roof alone.

"Charlie?" I mumbled, keeping my eyes shut.

"Hey, sleeping beauty. Finally awake?"

I nodded and cracked open one eye, realising that Charlie had his arm around my waist, and my head on his chest, facing away from the wind. A warm green blanket was wrapped around me, though I still shivered a tiny bit. One of his velvety wings was folded lightly over the blanket, holding me to his side. He rubbed my arm lightly, looking down at me with an extremely worried expression on his face. My cheeks positively burned, though it would be an utter lie to say I wasn't thrilled with the situation.

"Sorry," I muttered, voice thick with sleep as I avoided his gaze. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. Forgive me?"

He deliberated. "Well, you _did_ call me 'Zabini,' but I'll let it slide. You're forgiven."

"Thanks."

A silence fell over us for a few moments, and I snuggled into Charlie's side a bit more.

"Clara, what happened? What did Wilkins say to make you so upset? Did he do some-"

"He didn't do anything. I just don't want to get my magical abilities."

His heartbeat sped up, piquing my interest. "W-why not?"

"He has to search through all of my memories...he made me remember my grandmother's funeral."

"O-oh. I'm so sorry."

I had tears welling up in my eyes again. "It hurt so badly. I was only thirteen when she died...I used to see her almost every Saturday afternoon...and I try to shove the bad memories away, but whenever I see Sir Theodore-"

"Sir Theodore? As in, Nott?"

"No, as in, my teddy bear..." I trailed off before I remembered what had caused me to break down. "Holy crap! I threw him off the roof!"

I pulled myself from his arms and ran to the ledge, looking over the short wall for something I couldn't see. I began to freely cry, shaking and almost-hyperventilating as he tried to say something from behind me.

"Clara-"

"He's probably in the middle of the Forbidden Forest!"

"Clar-"

"Or maybe in the lake?"

"Clara!" He interrupted, "I can go get him, if you want."

I wiped my eyes on the back of my sleeve, sniffling. "Y-you can?"

"Yeah, it should be easy. I'm a Daemon, remember?"

He smiled at me, moving to the wall.

"Oh...I kind of forgot...but what if a teacher sees you?" I hiccuped.

His warm, deep eyes met my red ones, and he shook his head. "I've gone out at night hundreds of times, and I want to do this for you. Honestly, I'll be back in like a minute. Just stay here, okay?"

With that, he was gone in a whir of wings and wind.

I leaned on the divider, feeling completely drained. Holding my hands together in front of me, I looked up at the stars through puffy lids, not recognizing any of the constellations but enjoying their utter beauty. Something moved in my peripheral vision, and I tilted my head to look at a smiling Charlie. In his hands, he held Sir Theodore. He strode over, placing the bear in my arms and standing by my side.

"You're amazing," I said, stroking Theodore's fur. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

He looked happy, but there was something in his expression that troubled me.

"Charlie, what's wrong?"

He debated for a moment, but then shook his head. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"No you're not. I know you better than that. You're always making me feel better...can't I do something for you?"

"I..." He clasped his hands in front of him and nodded. "Yeah. Just promise me that you'll keep trying with your lessons with Professor Wilkins."

Narrowing my eyes, I looked up at him. "Why?"

"Because I don't want you to pass up this opportunity...I promise you that you won't be disappointed when the time comes."

I could tell that that wasn't all he wanted to say, but I nodded anyway. Biting the side of my mouth, I promised him that I'd go through with it.

"Great!" He said, back to his cheerful self. "Now, why don't we both get to bed? I'll see you in the morning."

I finally blurted out what had been nagging me since I'd found out who he was. "Charlie? I have a quick question...why do you care so much? I mean, I'm a Muggle...er, Muggleborn...and you're a Pureblood Daemon who can hang out with anyone he wants...why didn't you just bring-"

"You obviously don't see yourself very clearly, Clara Fulton. You're a fun, pretty, witty, smart, amazing girl who has been a great friend to me, and I'm not going to just forget that because of blood statuses...besides, you're my ma-" He caught himself from saying something with a cough, puzzling me further. "You're an amazing person."

Leaning against his shoulder, I looped my arm through his. "Ditto."

We stood there for a moment before I let go, muttering a faint, "Good night."

"Sleep well, Clara."

* * *

><p>"Thank you for coming to me, Miss Fulton." Professor Wilkins said with a smile. "Believe me; this will all be worth it in the long run."<p>

I nodded, allowing him to once again dive into my memory bank.

Nothing too horrible was remembered; just some normal days, a bit of social and familial drama, and a few of my high school crushes. After a while, he pulled his wand away from my head, casting a spell that placed the already-sorted memories aside, so that they wouldn't have to be sorted through again.

"Lunch is almost over; I suggest you get to your next class."

I started walking toward the door, but he called to me.

"Miss Fulton! I almost forgot! If you could also find someone else that you trust...someone who can preform occlumency. Almost all of the seventh year students have been well-trained from the war, and it would be an immense help if you could work on this between our classes together. Once you find someone, please bring them to my office during our next meeting. Have a pleasant day, Miss Fulton."

* * *

><p><em>Who can I trust with my memories?<em> I pondered during divination, gazing into the crystal ball intently. _I mean, sure, Charlie's there if I need him, but for some memories, I'd be more comfortable if it was a girl...maybe Padma?_

A face appeared in the orb, making me gasp insanely and slightly flail my arms. Hermione's face had been as clear as day until I'd freaked out. My seven other classmates glared minutely at me for breaking their concentration, and I muttered an apology.

"Miss Fulton? Is everything okay?" Professor Stoker asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Professor!" I whispered excitedly, "I just kind of asked the ball a question, and it answered!"

"Really? Are you sure?"

I nodded enthusiastically, smiling widely. "Yes! Positive!"

"Congratulations, Miss Fulton. It seems that you might just have a seer in you yet."

* * *

><p>"Hermione? Could I talk to you for a minute?"<p>

I caught her elbow and her smile, and beckoned her out of the crowd of hungry students. After I'd explained my situation with the lessons, and the vision in the ball, I asked her if she could possibly help me sort through some memories.

"Oh my word! You saw something in the ball? That's lovely! Maybe you're a seer!" The sweet brainiac exclaimed. "Of course I'll help you! How about we meet up in the seventh floor corridor on Saturday morning at 10:00? I'll take you into the Room of Requirements, and then we'll get started. Wait, when are we meeting with Professor Wilkins, again?"

"Tomorrow night at 7:00. He said that it will merely be an instructive time where he teaches you the spells and whatnot, and with your brain, it probably won't take long at all." I threw my arms around her and gave her a huge hug. "Thank you so much! You're awesome!"

"My pleasure!" She squeaked. "Can you let me breathe, now?"

"Sorry, my bad!"

We both lightly laughed and headed toward the Great Hall for lunch.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Greetings! Hope you all liked this chapter and all the Clarlie (Clara/Charlie) fluff! More fluff and occlumency/power discovery to come!

Please review, and have a great weekend!

Hearts,

L.M.E.N


	8. Hospitality and Daemon Documents

**The Daemon Diaries**

Little Miss English Nerd

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 7<em>

* * *

><p>The month passed by quickly, and my occlumency lessons had advanced so much with both Hermione and Professor Wilkins that I only had one memory left to sort through; the memory of what had taken away my magic.<p>

They were both there, standing in front of me while I gulped nervously.

"Miss Fulton, this will be the most painful memory yet, I'm afraid." He said regretfully. "But I am 99% positive that this will do it. Miss Granger will monitor things, in case anything goes wrong-which is highly unlikely. Are you ready to unlock your potential?"

I closed my eyes, shaking, and nodded.

It felt as though my head was being ripped apart, piece by piece. I held in my scream of agony and awaited the memory, my curiosity beating out the tremendous pain.

* * *

><p>"<em>We told you, Sinclair; you should've just allowed us to have the baby."<em>

_A figure that I recognized as my grandmother put herself in front of me. The man shot a jet of purple light at her, hitting her straight in the chest and knocking her to the ground. She cried out, trying to clutch onto my crib with her trembling, wrinkled hands._

"_Don't...hurt...her..." She croaked, finally succumbing to unconsciousness._

_I sat in my crib, oblivious, as the big man strode towards me. His features were twisted with a sick pleasure, and I began to cry. He picked me up by the back of my jumper, holding me in his hand as he tapped his wand at my temple._

"_The Sinclair fortune is mine, little girl. Say goodbye to your magic. Leadenous Congelinortam Memoram Hopta."_

_Pain shot through my skull, and I cried all the louder as another person strode into the room._

_"Not Clara, you-"_

* * *

><p>"Clara? Clara?" Hermione's frantic voice sounded. "Clara, can you hear me? Just say yes if you can and please don't move."<p>

Something wet was dribbling down the side of my head, and I robotically confirmed.

"We're going to get you to St. Mungo's. Please just stay still."

"Hermione, what's wrong?" I whispered, fear overcoming me.

"The spell...well, it looks like you'll be okay, but we really need to get you checked out."

"Hermione," I said firmly, not daring to move. "Are my ears bleeding?"

She didn't respond, and I heard the door bang open, a flood of people come in, saying things that I couldn't bother to listen to. I felt myself being lifted, and was ordered by a hurried-yet professional-male voice not to move.

"Will I be okay?" I whimpered, speaking to the mystery man.

A hand touched my hair. "I hope so, Clara."

We were in the hallway, I think; I could hear the surprised students as they made way for the rushing group of people. I focused on keeping my breathing even, shaking uncontrollably and almost falling into some kind of panic attack.

"Sinclair, we have to get there immediately!" A voice screamed. "Her heart rate is slowing drastically! This didn't happen with any of the other curses-"

A white light pierced through my closed eyes, and all of my senses faded away.

* * *

><p>I felt weightless, dangling soothingly somewhere between consciousness and...peace.<p>

The room was white, comfortable as all of the feather beds in the world. I was warm, relaxed. The feeling went deep into my bones, and I was absolutely silent. Soft music trickled in the background, though I didn't recognize the tune. This was better than any late Saturday morning when you awake at noon.

This was absolute tranquility.

A hiding place.

A paradise.

* * *

><p>All too soon, the images and feelings faded as I took a great gasp of air, replaced by pain and desperate shouting. I was on a flat surface, and I could hear the worried mass surrounding me.<p>

"On three, then. ONE! TWO! THR-"

"Sinclair! She's alive!"

I shook again, wondering if I could open my eyes yet.

"Clara? Clara, are you awake?" Desperation sounded in the man's voice. "Open your eyes!"

My heavy eyelids could hardly open, and when I finally forced them up, I began to cry.

"Why am I back here?" I sobbed, wanting the white room of serenity back.

A man that looked somewhat like me stood over my form. He looked to be in his thirties, with dark hair and eyes that were nearly identical to mine.

"Clara, you were dead for two minutes."

My eyes shut once more as I pieced everything together.

"We're going to take good care of you, I promise." The man said sincerely. "The curse has been lifted; welcome to the wizarding world."

"Are you related to me?" I abruptly asked him as my tears continued to fall, feeling the people around me scurrying about once more. "Your last name is Sinclair...that's my mom's maiden name."

"Yes. I'm your uncle, Thomas, but you can call me Tommy, if you want."

"Why haven't I heard about you?"

He hesitated. "Well...your mother and I had a falling out when you were born...we haven't talked since. However, I think that might be about to change...she's waiting outside to see you...along with some boy that seems to be in emotional turmoil...Charlie something..."

* * *

><p>I was propped up on the bed, random equipment surrounding me and making strange noises. The door swung open, and my mother rushed to me, taking me gently in her arms.<p>

"Mommy..."

She said my name over and over; I felt her tears splatter the back of my clothes.

"Mom, I'm so sorry. It's gonna be alright...I promise..."

"Clara, I was so afraid." She pulled away, her makeup smeared. "They wouldn't tell us what happened, and then we heard them yelling about you...d-dying. Never put me through anything like this again."

"I won't."

Shaking her head, she put her hands on my shoulders. "I won't let you. You're coming home...this is dodgy stuff. We're not gonna deal with this wizard junk anymor-"

"You might not, but I will." I interrupted.

"No you will not! I won't allow it! You just died, Clara! All to get those powers back-"

"I know! And I'd do it a hundred times more! It's worth it, Mom! I can't just leave this world; I feel like I finally belong somewhere...I didn't even have any friends before Charlie came to school! I can't and won't leave, I'm sorry."

She looked down, cradling my hand. "I knew I wouldn't be able to persuade you...you're just like your Uncle...he went through the same process..." She sighed. "That boy out there loves you, you know."

"Ugh, Mom! You're making this sound like Twilight!"

With a watery chuckle, she continued. "Sorry, you know I'm kind of a Twi-hard fan... He really does love you, though. I've never seen anybody that concerned about anybody in my whole life. It seemed like he felt when you...left...he broke down completely and started banging on the door like a mad man. And a few seconds before we heard the Doctor's announce that you were back, this look of pure joy settled over him...it was like, like he couldn't live without you. He's a keeper."

"Mom, you're embarrassing me!" I exclaimed quietly, hoping Charlie couldn't hear any of our conversation. "It's a really confusing situation...oh, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't play as a keeper!"

"Oh, hush! Don't ruin the moment! Anyway, I'm sure it'll work out swimmingly," she winked. "Anyway, another visitor would very much like to see you, and I should be getting home to the boys. You're coming home for Christmas, so I'll see you then. I love you. Write me."

"I will. I love you, too, Mom." I gingerly wrapped my arms around her, giving her one last kiss before she departed. I looked out into the hallway and saw her chatting with Uncle Tommy. I smiled, hoping that they would make up after all this time. (**A/N:** "Always.")

* * *

><p>The door opened again, and Charlie stood there, face an unreadable mask of...something. As he studied me, his expression changed to one of pure relief. He strode over quickly, taking the chair by my bedside and grabbing my hands up in his. His thumbs lightly went over my hands, the feeling nearly making me shiver.<p>

"Clara, you scared me so badly," he whispered, not making eye contact. "When I-when I heard them say that about you dying-"

"I'm alive and well, Charlie. My uncle even told me that it was probably the way the curse was designed; I probably would've come back in just a few moments anyway. Just focus on the here and now, not what could've happened." I said in hushed tones, trying to see his face.

He finally made eye contact, his face once again blank.

"Charlie, what's the matter?" I questioned, looking away from his piercing gaze.

A finger lifted my chin up, and he steadily looked into my eyes. "I'm just very glad that you're okay...never do that to me again, okay?"

"I'll try..."

On impulse, I wrapped my arms around his waist, leaning over the railing on the bed to hug him close. My face was nestled in his shoulder, and I contentedly sat there, taking in his attractive aroma and relaxing. He followed suit, placing his head on top of mine and winding his arms around my back. Everything seemed right with the world for a moment until the same plaguing thoughts popped to mind.

_What is this relationship with Charlie? I really, really like him, but I think that there's an underlying...hitch? Well, there's an underlying something, and I'm afraid that it won't end well..._

* * *

><p>Ribs aching, eyes drooping, and a tiredly relieved grin on my face, I walked through the library the next morning, happy to be back at school.<p>

I was a little embarrassed, as loads of people whom I didn't even know would randomly come up to me and express their relief that I was alright. Putting it down to niceness, I said the appropriate thing and went on my way to Madam Pince's desk.

"Good morning, Madam," I said as cheerfully as possible. Lowering my voice a bit, I leaned in. "Um, I'm looking for a certain book..."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, it looks like we've got enough of those to go around. What sort of book are you looking for?"

"I...I need to research a certain topic...er, Daemons. I need to research Daemons."

A not-so-surprised-yet-still-surprised look crossed her face. "Um, yes, we do have books about Daemons..." She grabbed a slip of paper and wrote down the location of the books for me. "Just head straight down until you reach the very back, right before you hit the restricted section, which is restricted for a reason!"

I awkwardly half-smiled at her, walking away and shaking my head at her weirdness.

The walk seemed all the longer as multiple people whispered about me as I strode by. The crowd thinned out almost completely when I reached the back of the library, which seemed to only be inhabited by dust bunnies. I reached Z-89 soon after, a bit annoyed that I didn't exactly know the title of the book I should've be looking for.

"This looks promising," I murmured as I fingered the spine of _Daemons Through the Ages_. I had only just started to pull it off of the shelve when someone strode around the corner.

"Hi, Hermione...what are you doing here?"

She looked falsely shocked at my presence. "Hello, Clara...I was just looking for you...how about we go and practice some spells? Have you tried to do any magic yet? Oh, and I heard that the House Elves are planning a-"

"No thanks, Hermione, I already planned to do some reading-"

"NO!" She almost shouted, a cheesy grin on her face. "What I mean to say, is...why not read _Hogwarts; a History_ instead? It's such a great book! Besides, all of these books are very, very unreliable sources!"

"I already read _Hogwarts; a History_, 'Mione...it was nice, but I really just want to read this book, so if you don't mind-"

I brusquely lunged for the book, but she put her hand over it and fought back. We both held on for a moment, but she ended up with _Daemons Through the Ages._ I hadn't wanted to resort to violence of any kind, but I pulled out my willow wand ominously and pointed it straight at her, trying to look malevolent.

"Well, 'Mione, I'm sorry, but you really, really need to give me that book..."

She gasped, holding the book closer to her chest. "You-you wouldn't dare curse me! You know how unruly newly awakened powers can be!"

"Yes, I know that full well. So I'd suggest that you hand over the book and we'll both be on our merry ways. I know that you're probably working for Charlie, but I have as much right to read this book as anybody else."

Thrusting it into my hands with a defeated sigh, she spoke. "I agree with you; he can't take control over this whole situation. But I'm warning you; you might read something in that book that you really don't like."

"I'm okay with that...thanks, Hermione."

"You're welcome...but can we not mention this to Blaise? He'll get pretty mad if he finds out that I just gave it to you..."

I smiled reassuringly. "It'll be like it was never missing. I'll just go check this out..."

* * *

><p><em>Daemons have an extremely high tolerance to pain. It is hypothesized that for every amount of pain that humans feel, the Daemons feel it three times less. Their nerves are far more complex than the human nervous system, and the pain translates differently when it reaches the brain. The nerve receptors on a Daemon are about one tenth the size of the receptors on a human; the message gets to the brain faster, but it is also much less painful. Many witches and wizards have tried to find the reason for this, but none have completely figured it out. The most widely believed reason would be-<em>

I put down the extensive book, sighing at its lack of useful information. My brain felt heavy and muddled as it had yesterday, so I decided to go up to the tower to get a little fresh air. The ladder was as terrifying as ever, but I finally made it up in one piece. The air was fresh and crisp; it was a little dreary and wet outside, but I'd grown mostly used to it after spending more than two months here.

Honestly, I could hardly even believe that all of this was happening...I still expected myself to suddenly wake up, extremely disappointed, and go back to school as if the whole thing had never been mentioned. I mean, Harry Potter...real?

That reminded me of the willow wand that was still tucked up my sleeve. I pulled it out, fingering the soft, wooden surface and marvelling at how well it fit in my hand. The feeling was extraordinary; I felt as though I could do anything.

With two carefully placed words, I decided what my first spell should be.

"_Expecto Patronum._"

It felt like something exploded from within me and flew out from the tip of my wand. A bright and powerful bird soared out of my hand, flying gracefully through the sky with a shrill cry before it settled on my shoulder affectionately. It was a majestic hawk with keen eyes that studied me thoughtfully. I laughed with mirth, and the bird nudged the side of my head lovingly as I lightly stroked its back. The tower door banged open behind me, and the bird disappeared in a puff of silver light.

"Bloody-"

"Language, Seamus," Dean admonished. He turned to me and gave a low whistle. "Did you just produce a full blown patronus?"

I shyly nodded, tucking wand back in my sleeve.

"Wow."

"Yeah," I agreed with a laugh. "Anyway, would you two gentlemen like to help me make some cookies? I could really do with some cookies right now."

They certainly didn't need to be asked twice.

* * *

><p>"Alright, now say 'scourgify,'" Dean instructed, watching as I pointed my wand at the dirty dishes.<p>

"Do I have to say it with an accent?"

He barked a laugh. "No! As long as you think about cleaning those dishes and you say the right word, it'll work just fine. Go on, then!"

"Scourgify!" I exclaimed. The dishes were sparkly clean a second later, and I clapped my hands in glee. Rushing over to Dean, I gave him a huge hug and thanked him for teaching me so many spells in the last few hours.

He bit into another cookie, a look of complete enjoyment on his face. "It was totally worth it for these cookies. Honestly, if you hadn't become a witch, you would've had a very promising career as a baker!"

We laughed, each taking another cookie from the rapidly diminishing pile. The kitchen door jumped open, and Charlie walked into the kitchen, looking happy and depressed at the same time. He came over and hugged me, picking me slightly up off the ground. As he set me down, I chewed the bite of cookie that I hadn't yet swallowed and raised my eyebrows at him.

"Long time, no see...what's up with you?"

He shook his head, leaning against the counter after a nod to Dean. "I'm just happy to see you out of the hospital."

"Didn't you hear the nurse say that I was coming home today?"

"Yeah, but something kind of came up, and I was really preoccupied...they found something in my dad's will that was a little bit...complicated..."

I gasped, my eyes widening as I digested that bit of information. "Oh my gosh! In the train car, your fifth year! You said that your father had...oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't even remember-"

"It's fine," he interrupted, patting my hand. "You didn't know...besides, I hardly even knew him, myself...he actually was quite a jerk, if you ask me..."

"Still, I'm sorry...here, have a cookie," I suggested, gesturing to the plate.

"Don't mind if I do..."

The cookie in my hand disappeared in two seconds flat, and I wrinkled my nose at the teenage boy who stood across from me. "What was that for? There's like, forty more cookies on that plate that you could've eaten instead!"

He shrugged. "You didn't look like you were gonna eat it...decided not to waste it. Besides, you probably don't have mono."

I smacked him lightly with a dish towel, laughing at his silliness. I gazed at the empty bar stool where Dean had been previously sitting and shook my head at boys and their strange behavior in general. Charlie asked me what'd I'd done that day, and I told him everything except for the little _Daemons Through the Ages_ escapade...

"Oh...so Thomas has been teaching you some spells?"

The room actually grew hotter as I saw his jaw clench slightly. I smiled half-reassuringly at him, wrapping my arm through his and leaning into his side to try to calm his temper, which was really frightening me. He let out a loud breath and seemed to relax a tiny bit.

"Yeah, he was..." I trailed off with a smile. "But I wish it had been you...I honestly asked everyone if they'd seen you, but it appears that you disappeared randomly at some obscene time this morning! By the way, my patronus is a hawk."

He grabbed me and held me at arm's length, a shocked-beyond-belief expression on his face.

"How-"

"That was the first spell I preformed...I wanted it to be a special spell, so I figured I'd try...Hermione told me something about 'newly awakened powers' being very powerful..."

"Wow...and your patronus is a hawk?" He had a smug smirk on his face.

I raised an eyebrow. "Yes...?"

He laughed and nommed on another cookie.

"What's the problem with my patronus being a hawk? What's your patronus, wise guy?"

I giggled at his discomfort, pressing him for information by nudging him in the side.

"It's...a phoenix, actually..."

"And why's that so embarrassing? It's cool!"

He blushed, looking at the ground, resolute in his silence.

"Alrighty then, whatever..."

"HEY GUYS, COME HERE!" Seamus screamed from the common room, sounding excited. "WE'VE GOT AN OWL!"

* * *

><p><em>Dear Draco Malfoy, Lavender Brown, Blaise Zabini, Clara Fulton, Michael Corner, Ernie MacMillan, Seamus Finnegan, Susan Bones, Dean Thomas, and Theodore Nott,<em>

_This coming weekend is Halloween. This year, Hogwarts will be celebrating with the normal feast, but also with a trick-or-treating that you all must participate in. Please wear appropriate costumes; the event will start at 9:00 on Saturday night, and you will be going around to all of the other common rooms. Please have one of your house members stay in your common room to pass out candy (you will have to provide the candy yourselves...though the house elves will be more than happy to help); decorations will also earn you points. Whichever common room earns the most candy will gain points for their individual houses, but also points as a whole. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>"This is awesome!" I exclaimed.<p>

Everyone else but Lavender, Seamus and Michael (who were also very pleased) looked completely confused. I made eye contact with the three others who understood.

"Ohhh...you all have never been trick-or-treating?" Michael asked, baffled.

They all shook their heads.

"Basically," I began, "it's a Muggle tradition that's dated back for centuries. Kids dress up in costumes of all varieties, go to other people's houses, and say 'Trick or treat.' If the person doesn't give you candy, usually they get pranked later on. People decorate their houses with pumpkins, lights, and the occasional creepy prop. It's really fun!"

They all looked excited. Random chatter broke out, and I was questioned repeatedly on certain details.

"Yeah, I think we should make it as scary as possible! Let's start with decorations now!"

"We'll need to get some pumpkins, then," I explained. "Maybe they have some in the kitchen...it's almost curfew, but it wouldn't hurt to go down now to get dibs on the cooler ones. Anybody wanna come with?"

Charlie jumped up, and I sighed quietly, trying to give him a bright smile.

"Okay, let's go. We'll bring back a few carving knives from the kitchen; Lav, Seamus, Michael? Teach them how to carve a pumpkin while we're gone, okay? We don't want any...mishaps."

* * *

><p>I looked doubtfully at the huge pumpkin that would be a really great asset.<p>

"Are you sure you can carry this? It must weigh three-hundred pounds!"

He rolled his eyes. "We can shrink it so it's easier to hold...and Daemon, remember?"

"How could I forget?" I muttered under my breath. Switching my voice back to normal volume, I instructed him to take the pumpkin while I grabbed one of the medium-sized ones and a few carving knives. "Alright, let's get back to the common room."

It was smooth sailing until we reached the base of the astronomy tower. Mrs. Norris prowled down the hallway toward us, and I stood, frozen in fear. Charlie ushered me into a tiny storage closet, closing the door behind us. The stupid broom closet was so small that we were basically hugging each other, pumpkins still in hands, with his front against my back while his left arm braced the wall to hold us steady. We could hear Filch's voice in the hallway, and we both held our breath, silent as corpses until his footsteps faded away.

My breathing was rather loud in the tiny space due to my extreme claustrophobia. I felt the air coming from Charlie's open mouth blowing across my neck and began to shake, wanting to get out of there so badly that it hurt. He seemed to be closer than ever, which startled me. I panicked, turning around so suddenly that the door behind him opened, expelling us into the corridor as pumpkins rolled and knives clattered. I lied on Charlie's chest, hearing his frantic heartbeat and desperately wondering what he was thinking.

"We've gotta go," he said hoarsely. I blushed insanely and stood up, grabbing a pumpkin and the knife set and avoiding his gaze.

* * *

><p>"How'd it go?" Lavender asked, raising her eyebrows at my red face.<p>

"We were almost caught by Filch, but it's okay..." I provided, setting the pumpkin down on the kitchen table. Deeply yawning, I stretched my arms and tried to dramatically blink my eyes. "Well, I'm really tired...you guys can go ahead and carve the pumpkins, if you'd like..."

"No!" Charlie randomly half-yelled. We all looked quizzically at his newly red expression. "What I mean is that we should do it tonight...can't you help us? More than half of us have no idea what we're doing..."

"Well..." I relented, wanting more than anything to just go to bed and get away from this confusing boy, but not having the courage to say so.

* * *

><p>"These are amazing!" Lavender squealed. "Who knew you were such a good pumpkin carver, Clara? This big one is absolutely terrifying!"<p>

I surveyed my work, rather proud with what I'd done. The huge pumpkin had rather devilishly shaped eyes with a thin layer that served as the iris. I used black food dye to color the extremely thin pupil a transparent black, and the eyes looked really realistic and familiar. Its nose was a few small slits that I'd carefully cut into the membrane of the pumpkin, and it looked all the more real because of the shadowing that Hannah had done around it. The huge mouth had a violent row of teeth that looked similar to those of a vampire.

"Well, we'll use that spell that creates purple fog on the mouth, put the candle inside, and it'll look even better. Thanks for the help!"

We chatted for a few more minutes, then everybody went to their dormitories.

After the other girls fell asleep, I stayed up into the early morning, pouring over the book about Daemons. Though there was some interesting information, none of it seemed to pertain to Charlie's current state of slight...okay, extremely irrational infatuation with me.

Okay, yes, I finally admitted it...but only because he was impossible to ignore any longer!

As I skimmed through the pages, I noticed that there were quite a number of them missing near the end of the book. The last page had many crossed out sentences and the remainder of them simply said;

"The Daemon will be relentless until the spell is cast by both...by the eighteenth birthday...hard time adjusting..."

In ancient scrawl, a separate note was written.

_If you're reading this, good luck. It would not be wise to tell you all there is to know. Allow your Daemon to do that, instead. Prepare yourself._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** *insert dramatic music here*

Haha! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! I've realized that my chapters have been kind of broken up and snippety, but I hope you all don't mind!

Sooooo...PLEASE FAVORITE, ADD THIS TO STORY ALERTS, AND REVIEW! Thank you so much for all the reviews I've already gotten!

Lots of love, L.M.E.


	9. Let it Be

**The Daemon Diaries**

Little Miss English Nerd

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 8<em>

* * *

><p>It was Halloween, and everyone was in a panic.<p>

"Has anyone seen my fairy wings?"

"Where's my wand? I have to cast the pumpkin spell!"

"No, Nott! I've never kissed Hermione Granger!"

"I heard that he still likes her-"

"Does my makeup look okay, Susan?"

"WHERE'S THE CANDY?"

"Clara! I don't know if Neville likes me or not! What if he doesn't like my costume?"

"Okay, who stole my Wicked CD? I'll kill you!"

Fed up, I finally stood on the couch and yelled, "SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!" They all closed their mouths and turned to me.

"Thanks! Anyway, Charlie, your wand was on the table; Lav, your wings were under your bed; Theodore, I doubt that Draco has ever kissed Hermione, your makeup looks perfectly terrifying, Seamus; the candy is on the table out front, Dean; Susan, the only way he couldn't love your outfit is if he was blind; Michael, you used your CD in the kitchen last night, remember? Oh, and does everybody have their costume ready? Where are your fangs, Seamus?"

Everyone was a lot calmer, then, so I decided to go change into my costume with my roommates. Lavender had helped me pick out an adorable "Alice in Wonderland" costume, which even included a little, starched apron. Of course, I thought it wasn't freaky enough, so I decided to make it so. She once again use the curling spell on my hair, though this time, she turned it a platinum, gray-ish blond that looked similar to Draco's hair, adding a huge black bow that looked slightly decomposing and heavily spraying my locks with "extreme extreme hold" hairspray. She added pale makeup all over my face, painting a random scar here and there. I straightened my intentionally torn and wrinkled skirt and dirty apron and happily appraised my imagine in the mirror, nodding in approval before I slipped on my worn, dark flats.

Susan was already wearing a very cute pirate costume, and we straightened her red hair for her until it could qualify as "poker straight..." whatever that meant. She wore makeup that showed off her pretty, freckled face.

Lav was dressing as a fairy with a green, pink, and purple outfit that shimmered each way she turned. Her wings were covered in iridescent fabric, and she had curled her hair and added a cute halo of green ivy to her head. She wore makeup that made her green eyes pop, and she looked exactly like I always thought a fairy would look...though I doubted that anyone would think that she was scary at all.

After twenty minutes of extreme primping, we were ready.

We got back to the common room and helped the boys finish up the decorations in the hallway. Draco had volunteered to stay behind and pass out candy, so we set up his throne of fake bones outside and took a step back to admire our work.

Charlie had cleverly used the fog spell on random locations so that it absolutely filled the surrounding area; if it weren't for the floating, lighted pumpkins that had been strategically placed, the poor trick-or-treaters wouldn't be able to see a thing. The stifling fog continued to roll until the top of the winding staircase, where Draco sat, wearing a rather realistic skeleton suit and holding the candy on his lap, unmoving. The plan was that whenever somebody grabbed the candy, he would yell at them and scare them out of their wits. At the bottom of the staircase, our huge pumpkin sat, fog coiling scarily out of its mouth while a sign covered in spiders (yes, conjured, real spiders) stuck out of the top, warning people to "Enter at your own will..."

We'd sort of gone overboard, but Dean and Seamus had charmed "bats" to fly around randomly through the fog, particularly at people; random, freaky sound effects played sporadically; a few...surprises were also hidden throughout the mist, creating the freakiest atmosphere I'd ever experienced.

Honestly, it'd be a miracle if people actually made it up the staircase to get any candy at all!

"Alright, let's get going!" Michael grinned, pulling his creepy mask over his head. His voice became slightly muffled. "I say we split up to cover more ground; if any nasty people try to take your candy, don't back down-especially you, fairy princess!" Lav pouted at him and crossed her arms. "No matter what your costume is, don't let people push you around! Collect as much candy as possible, alright? We'll totally kick butt! Okay, find your buddies and lets get going!"

I was going with Theodore and Charlie; Theodore was dressed like a mummy, as we'd laboriously taken the time to wrap him in layers of old sheets and cast a "yellowing spell" on the "bandages," and Charlie was going as "the angel of death." He'd been able to keep his wings out (as nobody would know that they were fake), and he wore an all black suit. Lavender and I had attacked his face with makeup to make him appear pale and creepy, giving him gaunt circles under his eyes. His hair was gelled back slickly, and he'd been practicing a psychotic smile to show people...

"Ew, you guys are too creepy," I said as we walked toward the first year common rooms. "I'd hate to meet either of you in a dark alley..."

"Says the startling, undead Alice," Theodore shook his bandaged head.

* * *

><p>The night went well; Draco was happy to report that only ten people had managed to be brave enough to take any candy, our common room got first place for the most candy and the best decorations, and we all had quite a fun time, though I didn't particularly enjoy it.<p>

My thoughts were still plagued by the "prepare yourself" warning in Daemons Through the Ages. I looked at Charlie out of the corner of my eye and found that he was watching me...for about the five-thousandth time that night.

_I really need that missing information from the book, I decided. I'll go to the library tonight...hopefully I'll be able to cast the charm correctly..._

* * *

><p>It was quiet; the book was lying on its shelf in the middle of the restricted section, as it had stayed for thirty years. Suddenly, a finger touched its spine, sending shivers down the ancient, untouched leather. A quiet voice muttered an exclamation of contentment as the book's title was revealed; Daemon or Demon? A Dark Guide for all Your Daemon needs.<p>

The loose pages that had been unceremoniously stuffed between the yellowed page 114 and holey 115 fell as the guide was opened. The blond haired boy stooped and picked them up, grinning like mad as he saw "Daemons Through the Ages" printed across the top of the ripped papers. The guide was closed again, and the boy who held the book briskly strode off, tomb under his arm.

"Malfoy!" A voice viciously whispered.

The book fell to the dusty floor, its new owner letting out a cry of fright.

* * *

><p>"Fulton!" Malfoy hissed at me, glaring. "Don't ever do that again! What do you want?"<p>

"I know what you're looking for," I said, stooping and nabbing the book from the ground. "And I want to know more, too. Can you please let me read with you? I've been looking for those pages, and-"

"Fine. Just keep quiet about it; I have a theory, and-"

"Who's there?" A voice called out.

Our eyes widened simultaneously, and we both pulled out our eyes at Filch's call. We rushed to the corner, sitting as close as possible and breathing quietly. The appropriate charms were used, and we could do nothing but hope that we were invisible. His arm was wrapped around my shoulders, pressing me into him almost indecently and in a manner that made me blush like crazy.

The light of Filch's lantern fell over us, and neither of us dared to breathe. He soon passed on, and we waited for his footsteps to fade completely before disentangling ourselves. My face felt like it was on fire as he helped me up in a very un-Malfoyish way.

"Okay, Fulton," he whispered, taking the book. "You can help me do some research. But I must warn you, if my theory is correct, you might not like it."

"I don't care, I need to know." I insisted.

"Blaise won't be pleased about this, but we have an accord."

I shook his proffered hand somewhat awkwardly, and we walked cautiously out of the library together.

* * *

><p><strong>The Daemon will be relentless until the spell is cast, going so far as to commit suicide if the female or male mate in question refuses the offer or does not preform the spell of bonding. The suicide will always happen on the Daemon's eighteenth birthday, which is when Daemons reach their full potential. Some of the signs that a Daemon might have found his or her mate are...unexplainable absences, being overprotective of a certain person, odd excuses, hormonal moodiness, infatuation with a certain person, sudden disappearances, and being willing to do anything for the male or female in question.<strong>

All over the margins of the page, in the same handwriting as before, another message could be found.

_If you are reading this, I already told you; your Daemon must tell you these things. But, I suppose that you are very persistent...perhaps you should test this theory before you jump to conclusions. Best of luck to you, possible mate. And remember...the spell must be cast by the time your Daemon turns eighteen, or all will be over. You and your mate are supposed to experience an extremely special bond; even if your Daemon dies and you don't care, you will eventually realize that no one else in this world is meant for you and that no other romantic relationship will ever be satisfying. Again, best wishes..._

I gasped in shock, staring at Malfoy.

"You think this is true?"

He shrugged. "I don't see any other possibility. But if this guy is at all right, then we'd better 'test this theory' before we decide on anything..."

"You..." I blinked at him, completely surprised. "You don't mean-"

"Sadly, I do. But only when Blaise is watching..."

"He'll kill you if it's true!"

"It's worth the shot...besides, if you're there, I'm pretty sure you could stop him. As the book said earlier, the Daemon will do anything for his mate...hopefully that means that he'll listen if his mate tells him not to kill someone."

Looking up at this brave, Slytherin boy, I did something I wouldn't have ever dared do a few days ago-I hugged him.

"Thank you so much, Draco...this is still really impossible for me to believe, but I'm glad that you've been here...no matter how awkward our past has been..."

His white arms wrapped reluctantly around my back, and he leaned his head onto my shoulder just a tiny bit. After one of the weirdest hugs of all history (possibly even weirder than his and Voldemort's), he pulled back with a slight smile.

"Okay, Fult-er, Clara...let's get back to the common room...we have to try out this next bit of information...I apologize ahead of time for anything...er, weird, that I might do..."

"Same here..."

* * *

><p>CHARLIE'S P.O.V.<p>

* * *

><p>I walked toward the portrait hole, a smile on my face because I couldn't wait to see Clara. The portrait swung open, though something on Sparkle's face made her look very reluctant to let me in. I raised an eyebrow at the silly fairy and whistled my way through the door, stopping abruptly when I saw the scene on the couch.<p>

Draco was holding Clara in his arms, kissing her ardently and obliviously as I stood there, a mix of a million emotions...none of them good. Her eyes were closed, though she didn't look like she was enjoying the kiss all that much.

With a roar of anger, my wings shot from my back, and the room seemed to get a thousand degrees hotter. The fire in the grate jumped about four times higher, nearly spilling out onto the carpet viciously. Malfoy pulled his bloody hands off of Clara, and I had grabbed the front of his expensive cloak so hastily that it ripped. He was up against the wall then, and the words that I used were words to never be repeated again. I could feel a fire building up inside me, and I used the rage I had to warm my palms, slowly burning the little scumbag.

"Charlie, sto-"

"Get back, Clara. He's going to pay." My voice sounded like liquid venom.

"Charlie!"

"Charlie!"

"Blaise, please," the son of a hag hissed breathlessly as my ever warming hands began to burn.

"Charlie! Charlie! You listen to me!"

I didn't move.

"BLAISE CHARLES ZABINI! AS YOUR MATE, I COMMAND YOU TO LET GO OF HIM RIGHT! THIS! SECOND!

I was so shocked that I dropped the little freak immediately, turning to the only girl I'd ever love and watching the tears streak down her face.

"C-Clara," I stuttered, approaching her. "How-how did you-"

"Get away from me."

Her words actually hurt, I realized as a dull pain throbbed in my chest.

My voice was saturated with utter despair and desperation. "Clara, please-"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

She rounded on me, getting up in my face as much as she could with our extreme height differences. "You thought you could just make me your mate without telling me? You thought that you could just woo me into doing whatever spell you need to survive? Well guess what...I WON'T! I could never love someone who selfishly kept all these secrets, tried to kill an innocent boy-"

"He is not innocent!" I interrupted, getting slightly angry at this beautiful creature. "He kissed you! That little-"

She glared daggers at me and rushed to his side, propping his now-unconscious form against the wall. "It. Was. Planned. We wanted to see whether or not I was your mate...and how well that went, right? Please take him up to the hospital wing."

With that, she went up the stairs to her dormitory, not even sparing me a second glance. The obedient Daemon in me hurriedly followed her directions, but the emotional, Daemon half just wanted to break down into a fit of distressed anger. But I knew she wanted Malfoy to be helped, and so I did it at quickly as physically possible, arriving back in just under five minutes, out of breath.

Lavender was sitting on the couch, looking confused and scared.

"Lavender!" I panted pathetically, dashing over to her. "Where...where...is...Clara?"

She shook her head. "She...said she was going somewhere. What happened? Did-"

"Tell me where she went!"

Surprised, she told me that all leaving students usually went to McGonagall.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, Mr. Zabini, you literally just missed her," McGonagall said sincerely. "She told me everything that happened, as well, and I'm afraid that I'll have to give you a month's worth of detention for attacking Mr. Malfoy. But onto bigger issues; what in the world possessed you not to tell her that she is your mate? You made things much, much harder than they needed to be..."<p>

"Why didn't you stop her?"

She furrowed her thin eyebrows at me. "Mr. Zabini, Miss Fulton happens to be seventeen, which is the wizarding age of maturity. She did ask to leave very nicely, as well."

"My apologies, Headmistress. Do you know where she went?" I pleaded.

"Yes, I do, but I'm afraid she told me specifically not to tell you. I warn you not to go looking for her yet, though...perhaps you should just send her an owl and give her some space, alright?" I got up with a nod and walked to the door. "Oh, and Mr. Zabini? When exactly is your birthday?"

"Not until April 26th, Professor...I have time..."

"Good. And I trust that you'll utilize it well?"

"As well as I can in this situation, Professor..."

* * *

><p><em>Dearest Clara,<em>

_Please don't burn this note until you finish reading it, alright?_

_I want to inform you that I'll leave you be; I miss you terribly, I feel like dying, but you can have your space. Will you be back soon? Also, you probably have a ton of questions about my stupid behavior and Daemon stuff, so you can ask away._

_I miss you..._

_Love,_

_Charlie_

* * *

><p><em>Don't worry; I didn't burn it.<em>

_I should probably apologize for the other day...I was really mad, and I said some things that I shouldn't have. I'm still really emotional and confused, so I think that I'll stay away for a while..._

_Anyway, yeah, I do have some questions and events that should be explained. I'll go in order of appearance._

_1) What was with the weird look when we first looked at each other, the first day of homeroom?_

_2) What about the moodiness when we went shopping for the music box parts?_

_3) Why did the room get hot when you got angry? (with Brody and with Draco...speaking of which, how's Draco doing after your little attack?)_

_4) When did you actually know that I was your...mate?_

_5) Why didn't you tell me?_

_6) What would've happened if I had died at St. Mungo's?_

_7) Why did you randomly get up and leave? Like that one night when I was hopped up on Madam P's potions?_

_8) What will happen to you if I don't come back soon?_

_~Clara_

* * *

><p><em>Dearest Clara,<em>

_I must say that I really like your handwriting...kind of cursive and print combined._

_Anyway, I don't much like your questions, but I guess I should answer them._

_1) I acted weird because I felt some kind of...weirdly deep attraction to you in that moment...it was so strong that it made me feel sick...sorry about that..._

_2) I was moody because you were flirting with the underpaid, Starbucks employee..._

_3) The room got hot because Daemons can control fire...it usually only happens with strong emotion until a Daemon's 18th birthday...then it's easily controlled. And Malfoy's fine; Madam Pomfrey fixed him up in no time flat, he's not very angry with me, and I got detention for a month..._

_4) I didn't quite figure it out until after we got to Hogwarts...it was the night that I met you on the roof of the Ravenclaw tower, when we almost kissed. You see, a Daemon will never be physically affectionate with anybody but their mate...so, yeah..._

_5) I didn't tell you because I thought it would send you away...like now..._

_6) I would've been completely distraught, and eventually died as well._

_7) Yeah, sorry about all the sporadic disappearances...it was just that, when you leaned in and smelled my neck, it just about drove me crazy. I didn't want to do anything that you didn't want me to do, so I decided to politely leave._

_8) Well, I'm already depressed. I feel like someone is repeatedly punching me in the chest...in time, I'll get worse and worse until my birthday, when...well, I think you know._

_I miss you more than words can say..._

_Love,_

_Charlie_

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for answering all of my questions; things make a lot more sense now...tell Draco and the others that I say "hello," will ya?<em>

_~Clara_

* * *

><p>His hands shook in utter disparity. His right hand yearned to pen a deep, convicting reply, but he knew that it would make her sad if he did anything like that.<p>

His thoughts soon became a mantra of sorts as he went from day-to-day in a zombie-like trance ...

_She'll come back. Leave her be. I miss her. She'll come back..._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hello, dearies! Thank you SO, SO much for reading! I promise that there's more mate drama to come! Pretty, pretty please review? You knoooow yoooou waaaaant toooo! :D

Love,

L.M.E.N


	10. Visitors

**The Daemon Diaries**  
>Little Miss English Nerd<p>

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 9<em>

* * *

><p>"Clara! You have a visitor!"<p>

I raised an eyebrow at my uncle's exclamation.

Alright, I know what you're thinking..."what uncle?"

Well, I'd been 'home schooled' for the last month by my new found Uncle Tommy, who happened to be a great teacher. Yes, yes, my mother was fine with it, thank you very much! And sure, it was a little awkward at first...but after a few weeks, I could definitely say that he was the best uncle of all time, to put it lightly...

"Coming, Uncle Tommy!"

Running down the long staircase in my uncle's large, British estate, I looked in a mirror to make sure that I looked alright. I'd gotten a hair cut since I had left Hogwarts; my thick, curly hair suddenly went from elbow length to a little above shoulder length, and I'd gotten tons of styling tips from _Witch Weekly_. I half-smiled at my reflection...I was happy in Wiltshire, yeah, but I felt pretty empty. Whenever I styled my hair, did my makeup, looked in the mirror, or did just about anything, I thought about what Charlie would think about my appearance and mannerisms, and it suddenly hit me how much I missed him and how often I thought about him.

I finally reached the door, and Uncle Tommy disappeared with a smile.

Draco stood in the doorway, looking pleased to see me.

"Draco!" I exclaimed after a pregnant pause, ushering him inside. "What brings you here? How'd you find out where I was?"

"I had enough sense to owl your mother about your whereabouts, and she gladly told me. I'm here to tell you that you've put one of my closest friends into utter turmoil, and he looks like a zombie half of the time without you around! Will you please come back for him?" This was all said in a hard-to-follow rush, as if he had somewhere else to be.

I shook my head at his obviousness. Of course, I'd figured that was the reason he was here, but I thought he would've at least used more tact.

"Fulton, I've half a mind to tell him exactly where you are so that he can plague you until you return unless you come as soon as possible!"

Something about his controlling tone annoyed me, so I decided to act snobby.

"Well, I wouldn't care if you did. He can do anything he wants, but he won't be able to convince me..." I lied through my teeth, hoping he wouldn't notice.

He smirked. "Fine, then. He'll probably be at your window by nightfall."

I glared challengingly. "Fine."

"Fine."

"Awesome."

"Good."

"Great!"

"Fantastic!"

"Super!"

With that, he opened the door, gave me one last friendly-ish sneer, and left.

_What have I done?_

* * *

><p>That night, I sat at my desk in my room; the blue curtains were drawn, shades closed, and latches locked. Everything had been very organized in my stressful state, and I was sewing buttons on a bracelet to occupy my down time.<p>

_Will he come? What will he do? What will I do? What will I say? Will I be able to face him? I'm such a wimp! Oh, this is going to be so awkward...if he ends up coming! Wait...I miss him...no, I don't know if I do! Ugh!_

The large clock on my wall indicated that it was 11:42 and a half minutes, to be precise. I fiddled with the sleeve of my t-shirt, smoothed my hair, and straightened my printed, pajama pants nervously. Just as I was pulling a strand of thread through the needle, a barely noticeable knock sounded at my window. My stomach dropped to my toes and I pricked my finger, mouth dry.

I walked to the afore-knocked-on window, sliding open the shades and curtains with shaking hands. I saw no one, though I knew he was there. The glass went up, then, and so did the screen. The chilly air began to spread through the room, and I shivered, sucking on my wounded finger and feeling his presence.

"Ch-Charlie?" My garbled whisper sounded feeble and pathetic in the still, night air.

"Hey, Clara," a tired sounding voice made its presence known. "Can I come in?"

I backed away from the window, holding the curtain aside for the dark figure.

His face was pale, and it seemed that all of the color had been drained out of his body, leaving him as some kind of corpse. The green-blue eyes that I'd come to know and love looked dull and lifeless, and his once-gorgeous locks appeared limp and completely uncared for. He wore dark clothes, and his wings were hidden from sight. All in all, he looked just as zombiesque and depressed as Draco had described. A wave of guilt washed over me, and I gulped.

"Clara..."

His voice cracked as he said my name, and he looked like he was about to fall over.

Guiltily, I led him over to the couch, sitting next to him as he took in my features and appearance, an awkward gap in between us.

"Clara, I'm...I'm so sorry..."

His voice sounded broken and dull, and I averted my gaze.

My throat was dry, but I did my best. "I...should be the one to apologize. Why do you look like this?"

He said nothing. I sat, waiting, until I felt a finger lift my chin up. His face was so close that I could feel his breath blowing across my cheekbones as he exhaled through his mouth. My muscles froze, and he stayed perfectly still for what felt like forever. He slowly closed and opened his eyes, something in them hardening. He began to speak.

"Because of you, Clara Anne Fulton; always because of you."

Resisting the urge to look away, I held his gaze. "Why me?"

"Because you're the only one I'll ever truly love, and I can't stand to know that you've rejected me...it's the worst feeling in the world." His complexion paled, and he finally dropped his eyes to his hands, which were clenched together so tightly that it probably hurt. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that...I didn't mean to upset you."

Because of the shameful irony, I laughed, shutting my eyes and shaking my head at my own foolishness. I cleared my throat and once again peered at him.

"Blaise," I placed my hand on his clenched ones. "Charlie...please don't apologize. I should be the one that feels guilty. You did nothing out of the ordinary for you, and I overreacted. If I accepted your apology, I'd sound like the most hypocritical person in the world...so I hope you'll forgive me instead."

Rather impressed with myself, I met his green-blue gaze again, seeing a form of flickering hope behind his irises.

"I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me," he stated.

Letting out a shaky breath, I nodded, opening my arms and longing for his loving touch.

He desperately pulled me to him, like a starving man would grab for food. His strong, warm arms felt familiar and well-missed, and I wanted that moment to last forever. My eyes were tearing up as I smelled his intriguing aroma and basked in the heat radiating off of him. He whispered my name over and over again, rocking me side to side and petting my short hair. A crack went through my facade and I began to openly sob, but he just held me closer.

"Charlie, I'm so s-sorry!" I gasped into his broad shoulder.

"It's okay, Clara. You were right to do what you did, and I forgive y-"

"No, I wasn't! I didn't know that it would a-affect you this way, and it was completely self-fish and wrong..."

"But you didn't do it on purpose, and that's what it all boils down to at the end of the day, okay? I entirely forgive you for whatever you feel like you did wrong, and I hope you'll extend the same courtesy to me."

I nodded and once again laid my head on his shoulder. His hand went back to my hair, but he paused for a second.

"When did you get your hair cut?"

"Right after I, er, left...do you not like it?"

He shook his head and played with my curled locks a bit more. "No, I like it, it's really pretty. It just feels like I'm meeting you for the first time all over again..."

"Same here, but I'm not pleased with what I'm seeing. Draco was right; you _do_ look like a zombie...when was the last time you ate something? You look sick..."

He shifted into a more comfortable position, laying his cheek against mine. I hoped he couldn't feel my sudden blush.

"Well, I kind of _was _sick, but I'll get better now...that is, if you come back with me soon."

I bit my lip and buried my face into the crook of his neck, feeling his heart beat a little faster with the contact. He laid his head on top of mine and breathed deeply, inhaling my scent. I remembered what had happened last time we'd been in such a situation, and decided to take advantage of it.

"Charlie?"

I wiggled ever closer to him, looking up into his eyes.

"Yes?" He gulped, edging just a tiny bit away and looking like he was holding himself back.

I said the words that I knew would get to him;

"I missed you."

He went from looking completely and utterly hesitant to looking like the grinning, Cheshire Cat. My eyes fluttered shut as I took in the moment of whole perfection and contentment as he softly kissed my forehead. I felt like I was in a fairytale; warm and tingly all over, a nest of hyper butterflies in my stomach.

"I missed you, too, Clara...more than you could ever know..."

We sat together in happy silence for a few minutes before something popped to mind.

"I didn't kiss Draco, you know...I had my hand between our mouths."

He laughed and shook his head, his hair rubbing against my neck. "I should've known...honestly, you would've made a great Slytherin, you devious little girl."

We were both grinning like total dweebs until I shivered from the air blowing through the forgotten, open window. Charlie followed my gaze and chivalrously closed the offending object, drawing the shades shut once more. I sat up, biting my lip and studying him.

"Would you like some tea? I'll go down and make some..."

"You're obviously a psychic angel!" He proclaimed, sliding off his shoes and hopping onto my bed. "Tea would be terrific."

"What kind would you like? We have everything from herbal to English breakfast..."

"Said like a true Brit! I'll have whatever you're having, thanks."

I nodded, blushing, and opened my door, thankful to see the lights in my uncle's room off. Humming my way down to the kitchen, I took out two large mugs and set to work, boiling the water in the kettle and taking out some tea bags. I decided that he'd like whatever I liked...probably, so I used lemon, herbal tea and put in lots of sugar and a bit of lemon juice. A midnight snack would probably do Charlie some good, so I took out a bag of milano cookies. When everything was said and done, I cautiously tiptoed up the stairs with the drinks and snackage. As I approached the door, Charlie opened it for me, taking one mug from my grasp and quietly closing the door. He loudly took a slurp of his beverage, smiling at the taste.

"Wanna sit down on the couch?" I questioned. He nodded, and, as we approached, I thought back to my acting days and softly added, "or should I call it a love seat?"

I giggled at my own sense of humor as he looked on, confused but happy. I explained that it was a line from a play I'd been in during my freshman year, and continued to tell him about the insane fun that it'd been.

"So, would you like to go into acting?" He asked, nomming on a cookie happily.

I shrugged and also took a milano. "I like acting, but it would be uber hard to actually go anywhere with it. It's more of a hobby, like singing and whatnot."

"You could totally be a singer, though!" He argued, nudging me in the side with his elbow.

"Nahh, not enough self-confidence...anyway, what's going on at Hogwarts?"

He told me that everything had been pretty normal in general, but the meals in the common room had definitely decreased in quality since I'd left, as well as the unity between the different houses that made up our dorm mates.

"You should've seen the nasty fight that broke out yesterday...Seamus and Theo got into quite a scrape, and, what with Seamus's extreme combustibility, I'm not sure if Theo will ever be able to look at Seamus the same way..."

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, then got up and walked over to the large, walk-in closet, pulling out my trunk and diving in.

"Clara? What are you doing?"

"Packing my things, of course! What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Yeah, I can see that, but why?"

I secretly smiled, looking over my shoulder at him. "So I can come back to Hogwarts, silly."

His face looked like it might explode with happiness, and he let out a loud whooping noise, running over to me with another exuberant embrace. After we pulled back, our eyes widened simultaneously, and I heard my uncle stirring in the next room a moment later.

"Get outside! I'll tell you when it's safe! Go!" I hissed.

He didn't hesitate, and disappeared completely in the next instant. I righted everything and went back to packing, trying to calm my rushed breathing. Uncle Tommy's knock sounded, and I told him that he could come in. His sleepy face appeared around the corner, and I smiled at him.

"Hey, Uncle Tommy, what brings you here?"

"I-I thought I heard someone yell. Is anyone else here?" He yawned.

I shook my head. "Nope. I dropped a book on my toe, and I kind of yelped a bit. My bad. Why don't you go back to sleep?"

He began to walk away, but paused in the doorway. "So, are you going back to school?"

"Yeah, I was planning to go in the morning, if that's alright with you."

He nodded and smiled at me, walking over and hugging me lightly.

"Just know that it's been good getting to know you; I should probably get back to work more, though it's been great fun teaching you...you should be well prepared to get going back to school. I'll see you in the morning, kiddo."

He left after playfully ruffling my hair.

I sighed and opened the window up again, letting in a cold Charlie with a laugh. He gathered me into his arms and hugged me close to him, a huge grin on his exuberant face.

"You're really coming back?"

"Mhmm...now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go supervise the packing of my trunk."

He let me go, and the job was done ten minutes later (with a few, helpful spells, of course). I yawned hugely, leaning into him as we sat together on the couch. He was once again playing with the ends of my hair, but he smiled kindly at me.

"Looks like you should go to bed; you've got a big day of readjusting ahead of you."

I shook my head, cuddling into his side. "I don't wanna go to bed."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

He sighed and laid his head on top of mine, accepting defeat contentedly.

Though I felt perfectly fine at the moment, the lack of conversation allowed my thoughts to stray a bit.

_So, if I'm his mate...does that mean that I have to...marry him and everything? Not that I don't want to, it's just...I don't wanna even consider marriage yet...I'm not even eighteen..and...everything changed so quickly..._

Closing my eyes, I focused on his even breathing as he brushed through my hair again. I tucked my cold feet up, sticking them under his legs to keep them warm. He seemed to understand, and the blanket that usually found its home on the back of the couch was settled over me as Charlie draped his arm around me in a more comfortable manner, and I found myself slipping into dream land.

* * *

><p>I groaned lightly as I felt myself being moved by a familiar set of arms, shifting restlessly. I recognized the feeling of my fluffy blankets and inviting mattress as the comforter was tucked around me.<p>

"Thanks, Charlie," I mumbled, hardly understandable.

A kiss was placed on my forehead, and I just barely caught his words.

"G'night, luv..."

* * *

><p>With a moan, I reached my hands up to rub the sleep from my exhausted eyes. I cracked open an eyelid and drowsily glared at my alarm clock. 7:35. I felt like I was missing something important as I went to the bathroom to care for my morning needs. After I felt slightly awake, I walked back into my bedroom, taking in the slightly rumpled couch with a raised eyebrow.<p>

"Charlie!" I quietly exclaimed, remembering last night completely.

A piece of parchment rested on my bedside table, bearing my name in his handwriting.

* * *

><p><em>Clairbear, <em>

_ I'll see you at school; I figured that your uncle might not be pleased if he found me in your room... Anyway, just floo on over whenever you're ready. I'm so glad you're coming back; I missed you._

_Love,_

_Charlie_

* * *

><p>I giggled and folded the note again, deciding to keep it with the other notes he'd sent me by owl. Singing my way into the shower, I took the time necessary to feel completely clean, scrubbing my hair and body with vigor.<p>

I dressed slowly in a simple pair of skinny jeans, an over sized, button down shirt with a floral pattern, and a tank top that matched the blue base color of the blouse. I grabbed my pride and joy shoes (my Toms) and looked in the mirror, hoping that some of the Witch Weekly spells would sort out my demented hair. Half an hour later, I actually looked pretty good. My hair was curled and very dry, with the front pinned up. I wore just a bit of makeup, mostly eyeliner and mascara.

I rolled my trunk down the stairs with me, walking toward the library. Uncle T sat at his desk, giving me a smile as I approached.

After he made sure that I really wanted to go, he bent down to my height and looked me in the eyes.

"Don't you let anybody make you do anything you don't want to do; now that you have your powers, you're perfectly capable of showing everyone who is boss, alright? I'll miss having you here; you're great fun, little niece. Give me a hug and then go on out, kiddo! Good luck!"

After I'd said my goodbyes to him, the cat, and the tanked lizard, I grabbed a handful of floo powder and made my getaway. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Thank you SO much for reading! Could you pretty, pretty please review? I'm kind of stalling on this story a bit, but some reviews would really boost general morale over here at L.M.E.N Studios! Hope you liked it a bunch! More Chara FLUFF and drama to come!

Hearts,  
>L.M.E.N<p> 


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